The Howards hold a special place among "Tommers," as the thousands of actors and actresses who
performed in various productions of Uncle Tom's Cabin came to be called. Their 35-year engagement with
the play began in Troy, New York, in 1852, when Caroline (Fox) Howard and George C. Howard noticed their
4-year-old
daughter Cordelia was stealing the show in their production of the popular temperance drama
The Drunkard. They realized there was also a child at the
center of Stowe's best-selling novel, and asked George Aiken, a member of the family and their company, to
dramatize the story. Aiken felt the whole novel was too long, so his first script was a four-act play that
followed Stowe's plot through Eva's death; this opened on September 27, 1852, and was so popular that Aiken was
soon asked to dramatize the rest of the story. A second four-act play premiered on October 26, and this was so
popular that they decided to combine both plays into one six-act play that was so long it had to be performed by
itself, the first time in American theater history "going to the theater" meant seeing just one play performed.
Mr. Howard played St. Clare and Mrs. Howard took on the role of Topsy, but only because the actress they
wanted for the part refused to perform in blackface. Before she retired in 1886, Mrs. Howard would misbehave as
Topsy over 5000 times.
Some part of that long run is indicated by the schedule below, which lists all the Howard
productions of Uncle Tom's Cabin in the U.S. that have been identified. It was initially compiled from notes made by Mr. and Mrs. Howards' son and grandson in their researches into the family's performance history; this
research is part of the Howard Family Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center.
Additional performances were established from the notes Harry Birdoff kept for his research into The World's
Greatest Hit (these notes are in the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford CT), and from my own
research in the preparation of this archive, especially in the files of The New York Clipper.
This itinerary surely omits many unidentified performances over the years, but
it is complete enough to indicate the arc of their career enacting Stowe's story, especially the way the play
came into and went out of popularity at different times. For example, it's noteworthy that just before the Civil
War began, most of their appearances were limited to a version of the story called The Death of Eva,
advertised as a one-act play. We haven't located a script of that yet, but the archive does contain four
variants of the play as performed by the Howards:
1852 Aiken Text, as published by French in 1858;
Adapted from Aiken by George Howard, 1869 Promptbook;
Combined Conway-Aiken Script, 1876 Boston Museum
Production.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin As Perfected by G. C. Howard,"
c1876 Promptbook;
The Aiken text remains the basis of them all, but it was
repeatedly revised to suit audiences at different places and at different times. A decade after the Civil war, for
example, the play that had shrunk to a one-acter exploded into the "Tom Show," featuring casts that numbered in
the hundreds and performances that lasted well over three hours.
Some part of that story is available in the notes (*) to the
itinerary. Also available are dozens of "Related
Items" for various productions. A indicates an advertisement, P a playbill or, in one case, a
poster, and N a notice or review. Also available is a simple schedule of
performances.
|
| Year |
Location |
Date(s) |
Related Item(s) |
| 1852 |
Troy Museum |
September 27 - December 1* |
N
N
|
| 1853 |
Albany Museum |
January? - March? |
|
| |
Troy Museum |
April 13 - May 7* |
|
| |
Albany Green St. Theatre |
June 13-25 |
N
N
N
|
| |
National Theatre (NYC) |
July 18 - May 13 1854 |
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
P
P
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
|
| 1854 |
National Theatre (Boston) |
June 19 - July 8 |
|
| |
Metropolitan Theatre (Buffalo) |
December 15 |
|
| |
Troy Museum |
December 25 - 30 |
|
| 1855 |
Rice's Chicago Theatre |
January 26 - 31 |
|
| |
City Museum (Philadelphia) |
February 10 - March 2 |
|
| |
Charles Street Theatre (Baltimore) |
April 16 - May 19* |
N |
| |
National Theatre (NYC) |
May 30 - June 11 |
|
| |
Brooklyn Museum |
August 20 - September 10 |
|
| |
Providence Museum |
September 24 - October 11 |
|
| |
Wyatt's Lyceum (Hartford) |
October 15-16 |
|
| |
Albany Theatre |
December 10-c24 |
|
| 1856 |
Barnum's American Museum (NYC) |
April 21 - May 10* |
A
A
A
|
| |
Forbes Theatre (Providence) |
June 16-17 |
|
| |
National Theatre |
August 30* |
N |
| |
Adelphi Theatre (Troy) |
September 4 |
|
| |
Albany Theatre |
cOctober* |
|
| |
National Theatre |
November 8* |
N |
| 1857 |
National Theatre (New York) |
July 20-25* |
N |
| |
Adelphi Theatre (Troy) |
September 21-26* |
|
| 1858 |
Barnum's American Museum |
February 15-20* |
A
|
| |
Barnum's American Museum |
February 28* |
N |
| |
Barnum's American Museum |
April 21-26* |
N |
| |
Adelphi Theatre (Troy) |
May 3-8 |
|
| |
Barnum's American Museum |
May 21-30* |
N |
| |
St. Louis |
? |
|
| |
Cincinnati |
? |
|
| |
Utica |
? |
|
| |
Binghampton |
? |
|
| |
Springfield (MA) Music Hall |
September 24* |
|
| |
Bowery Theatre (NYC) |
November 22-27* |
|
| |
Burton's Theatre (NYC) |
December 14-25 |
N |
| 1859 |
Troy Theatre |
March 28 - April 2 |
|
| |
Barnum's American Museum |
May 16 - June 17* |
|
| |
Pine Street Theatre (Providence) |
October 10-11 |
|
| |
New Bowery Theatre |
October 31 - November 12* |
A
A
A
P
|
| 1860 |
New Gayety Theatre (Albany) |
April 23-24 |
|
| |
New Gayety Theatre |
October 1-5* |
|
| 1861 |
Troy Theatre |
March 29 - April 2* |
|
| |
Howard Athenaeum (Boston) |
October 7-11* |
|
| 1862 |
Broadway Music Hall |
March 1-6 |
|
| 1865 |
Old Bowery Theatre |
April 3-14* |
|
| |
Old Bowery Theatre |
April 26 - May 11* |
A
|
| |
New Bowery Theatre |
October * |
A
|
| 1866 |
Barnum's Museum |
May 21 - June 16 |
A
|
| 1867 |
Barnum's Museum |
January 7 - February 2 |
|
| |
Academy of Music (Brooklyn) |
February 21-22, March 7 |
|
| |
Bowery Theatre |
March 18-30 |
P
|
| |
Academy of Music |
September 20-21 |
|
| |
Brooklyn Opera House |
September 30 - November 5 |
|
| 1868 |
Barnum & Vanamburgh's Museum
& Menagerie (NYC) |
? - January 28 |
|
| |
Griswold Opera House (Troy) |
February 3-8 |
|
| |
Barnum's |
February 23 - March 3* |
A
A
A
|
| |
Banvard's New York Museum |
March 9-14 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
March 11* |
A
|
| |
Patterson Opera House |
December 11-15 |
|
| 1869 |
Newark Opera House |
January 1-2 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
January 14 |
|
| |
Providence Academy of Music |
February 22-23* |
|
| |
Griswold Opera House (Troy) |
February 22-23* |
|
| |
New Haven |
February/March? |
|
| |
Newark |
February/March? |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
April 21 |
|
| |
Olympic Theatre (NYC) |
September 6 - October 2 |
A
A
A
N |
| |
Newark Opera House |
October 25 |
|
| |
New Haven |
November 11 |
|
| |
New Music Hall (Worcester) |
November 13 |
|
| |
Providence Academy of Music |
November 15-16 |
|
| |
Bridgeport |
December 3 |
|
| 1870 |
Academy of Music |
January 26-31 |
|
| |
Griswold Opera House |
March 14-16, 19* |
N |
| |
Bridgeport |
April 22* |
|
| |
Pawtucket (RI) |
April 28 |
N |
| |
Providence |
April 30 |
|
| |
Milford (MA) |
May 3 |
|
| |
Worcester (MA) |
May 4 |
|
| |
Newark Opera House |
May 16 |
|
| |
Adelphi Theatre (Boston) |
October 24-29 |
N
N |
| |
Smyth's Hall (Manchester NH) |
November 4 |
|
| |
Portland Theatre (ME) |
November 8-9* |
N |
| |
Harrington's Opera House
(Providence) |
December 5 |
|
| |
Liberty Hall (New Bedford MA) |
December 7 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
December 19 (& 20?) |
N |
| |
Newark Opera House |
December 22 |
N |
| 1871 |
Robert's Opera House (Hartford) |
October 24 |
N |
| |
Providence |
October 25-26 |
N |
| |
Taunton (MA) |
November 2 |
N |
| |
Lynn (MA) |
November 4 |
N |
| |
Bridgeport (CT) |
November 13 (& 22?) |
N |
| |
Griswold Opera House (Troy) |
December 25-30 |
N |
| 1872 |
Academy of Music |
February 7 |
N |
| |
Paterson (NJ) |
February 9 |
|
| |
Harrington's Opera House |
February 12 |
N |
| |
Armory Hall (Pawtucket MA) |
February 14 |
|
| |
Robert's Opera House |
February 19 (& 20?) |
N |
| |
Bridgeport (CT) |
February 21 |
N |
| |
Harlem Opera House (NYC) |
February 23 |
|
| |
Music Hall (Portland ME) |
April 1-3 |
N |
| |
Harrington's Opera House |
August 28 |
N |
| |
Music Hall (Worcester MA) |
August 29 |
|
| |
Lawrence (MA) |
August 30 |
|
| |
City Hall (Portland ME) |
September 9-10* |
N |
| |
Academy of Music (Chelsea MA) |
September 11 |
P
|
| |
Salem (MA) |
September 12 |
|
| |
St. James Theatre (Boston) |
October 7 |
N |
| |
Robert's Opera House |
November 12 |
|
| |
Trimble Opera House (Albany) |
December 12-14* |
N |
| 1873 |
Academy of Music |
February 3 |
P
|
| |
Martin Hall (Albany) |
February 4-5* |
N |
| |
Syracuse |
February 10-11 |
|
| |
Auburn |
February 12 |
|
| |
Rochester |
February 13-14 |
|
| |
Rand's Hall (Troy NY) |
February 20-21 |
|
| |
Robert's Opera House |
February 26 |
|
| |
Hartford |
March 1 |
|
| |
New Haven Music Hall |
March 3 |
|
| |
Bridgeport |
March 4 |
|
| |
Academy of Music (Pittsburgh) |
March 24?-27? |
N |
| |
St. James (Buffalo) |
April 7-9 |
N
N |
| |
Erie |
April 10 |
|
| |
Brainard's Opera House (Cleveland) |
April 11-12 |
|
| |
Toledo |
April 14 |
|
| |
Fort Wayne (IN) |
April 15-16 |
N |
| |
Lafayette (IN) |
April 17* |
|
| |
Indianapolis Academy of Music |
April 18-19 |
|
| |
Terre Haute (IN) |
April 21-22 |
|
| |
Decatur (IL) |
April 23 |
|
| |
Springfield (IL) |
April 24-25 |
|
| |
Bloomington (IL) |
April 26 |
|
| |
Chicago |
April 27-32 |
N |
| |
Fort Wayne (IN) |
May 14* |
|
| |
Detroit |
May 16-17 |
|
| |
Auburn (NY) |
May 28 |
N |
| |
Robert's Opera House |
October 20 |
|
| |
Harrington's Opera House |
October 23 |
N |
| |
Liberty Hall (New Bedford MA) |
October 24 |
|
| |
Portland (ME) |
October 28 |
|
| |
Smyth's Hall (Manchester NH) |
October 30 |
|
| |
Martin Hall (Albany) |
November 7-8 |
N |
| |
Rand's Hall (Troy) |
November 11 |
N |
| 1874 |
Harrington's Opera House |
April 7 |
|
| |
Robert's Opera House |
April 8 |
|
| |
Newark Opera House |
April 10 |
N |
| |
Library Hall (Pittsburgh) |
April 23-25 |
|
| |
Brainard's Opera House (Cleveland) |
April 27-May 2 |
N |
| |
Titusville (PA) |
May 8 |
N |
| |
Corry (PA) |
May 9 |
|
| |
Jamestown (NY) |
May 11 |
|
| |
Buffalo |
May 12-14 |
|
| |
Newark |
October 6 (& November 2?) |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
November 26* |
A
N |
| |
New Brunswick (NJ) |
December 7 |
N |
| |
New Haven |
December 8 |
|
| |
Springfield (MA) |
December 9 |
|
| |
Robert's Opera House |
December 10 |
|
| |
Providence |
December 11-12 |
|
| |
Worcester (MA) |
December 14 |
|
| |
Lowell (MA) |
December 15 |
|
| |
Manchester (NH) |
December 16 |
|
| |
Lawrence (MA) |
December 17 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
December 25 |
N |
| |
Chestnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia) |
December 28-January 2 |
N |
| 1875 |
Detroit |
February 19-20* |
N |
| |
Academy of Music (Pittsburgh) |
April 15-17* |
N |
| |
Scranton (PA) |
May 7 |
N |
| |
Arch Street Theatre (Philadelphia) |
May 10-15 |
N
N
|
| |
Music Hall (Worcester MA) |
September 3 |
|
| |
Music Hall (Portland ME) |
September 14 |
N
N
N |
| |
White's Opera House (Concord NH) |
September 17 |
|
| |
Smyth's Hall (Manchester NH) |
September 20 |
|
| |
Martin Hall (Albany) |
October 8-9 |
N |
| |
Troy (New York) |
October 15 |
N |
| |
Schenectady (New York) |
October 16 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
November 25 |
|
| 1876 |
Bowery Theatre |
January 24 - February 17* |
A
N
N
N
N
N
|
| |
Academy of Music |
February 22 |
|
| |
Newark Opera House |
February 25-26 |
N |
| |
Brooklyn Theatre |
February 28 - March 11 |
A
|
| |
Arch Street Theatre (Philadelphia) |
March 13-18 |
|
| |
Boston Theatre |
April 3-8 |
N
N
N
N
N
|
| |
Boston Museum |
May 8-20* |
P
N
N
N
N
N
|
| |
Park Theatre (NYC) |
May 22 - June 10* |
A
A
A
A
N
N
N
N
N
N
|
| |
Providence Opera House |
September 11-16 |
N
|
| |
Bowery Theatre |
September 18-23 |
N |
| |
Brooklyn Theatre |
September 25-30 |
N
N
|
| |
Grand Opera House (NYC) |
October 2 - November 4* |
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
|
| |
Griswold Opera House (Troy) |
November 9-11* |
N
|
| |
Grand Opera House (NYC) |
November 13 - December 2 |
N
N
N
N
|
| 1877 |
New Broadway Theatre (NYC) |
January 15 - February 3* |
N
N
N
|
| |
Academy of Music |
February 22 |
N
N
|
| |
Newark Opera House |
February 24 |
N
|
| |
Boston Theatre |
April 12* & May 19 |
N
N
|
| |
Globe Theatre (Boston) |
May 26 |
P
N
N
|
| |
Academy of Music |
September 10-15* |
N
|
| |
Grand Opera House (NYC) |
October 15* - November 17* |
N
A
A
A
N
N
N
N
N N
|
| |
Griswold Opera House |
Thanksgiving |
N
N
|
| |
Academy of Music |
December 24 - January 1 |
P
N
|
| 1878 |
Gilmore's Holliday Street
Theatre (Baltimore) |
January 7-19 |
A
A
A
A
A
N
N
N
|
| |
Ford's Theatre (Washington) |
January 21-27 |
A
N
N
N
|
| |
Gilmore's Holliday Street Theatre |
January 28 - February 9* |
N
N
N
|
| |
Ford's Theatre |
February 11-16 |
A
N
N
N
N
N
|
| |
Fifth Avenue Theatre (NYC) |
April 1-20* |
A
A
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
|
| |
Albany |
April 26-27 |
N
|
| |
Troy |
April 29 - May 1 |
N
N
|
| |
Maryland Institute (Baltimore) |
December 23-28 |
N
N
|
| 1879 |
Theall & Carton's Novelty
Theatre (Brooklyn) |
January 13 |
|
| |
Court Square Theatre (Brooklyn) |
January 20 - February 1 |
|
| |
Theall & Carton's Novelty Theatre |
April 21 |
|
| |
National Theatre (Washington) |
October 13-18* |
A
A
A
A
N
|
| |
Robert's Opera House |
October 29 |
|
| |
German Clubrooms (Staten Island NY) |
November 20 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
November 22 |
|
| 1880 |
Cleveland |
January 10 |
|
| |
Ottowa, Canada |
January 12 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
March 15-20 |
|
| |
Windsor Theatre (NYC) |
March 22-27 |
|
| |
Music Hall (NYC) |
April 15-17 |
|
| |
National Theatre (Washington) |
September 8-11* |
N
N
|
| |
Temperance Lyceum (Staten Island) |
October 15 |
|
| |
Booth's Theatre (NYC) |
December 20 |
|
| 1881 |
Pittsburgh Opera House |
February 10 |
|
| |
Novelty Theatre (Brooklyn) |
October 31 |
|
| |
Providence Opera House |
November 10-12 |
|
| |
Griswold Opera House (Troy) |
December 16-17* |
P
|
| 1882 |
Third Avenue Theatre (NYC) |
February 23 |
|
| |
Novelty Theatre (Williamsburg NY) |
September 25 |
|
| |
Mount Morris Theatre (NYC) |
October 2 |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
December 15-16 |
|
| 1883 |
Troy |
September 18-19* |
|
| |
Mount Morris Theatre (NYC) |
September 10 |
|
| 1884 |
Novelty Theatre |
April 7-12 |
|
| 1885 |
Third Avenue Theatre (NYC) |
February 15-20 |
|
| |
Lee Avenue Academy
(Williamsburg NY) |
March 23 |
|
| |
Third Avenue Theatre (NYC) |
March 30 |
|
| |
Grand Opera House (Brooklyn) |
May 11 |
|
| |
Chesnut St. Theatre (Philadelphia) |
August 24-29 |
|
| |
National Theatre (Philadelphia) |
September 7-12 |
|
| |
Mount Morris Theatre (NYC) |
September 29? |
|
| |
Academy of Music |
September 29-30 |
|
| |
Third Avenue Theatre (NYC) |
November 23-28 |
A
|
| 1886 |
Theatre Comique (Harlem) |
May 17-22 |
A
|
| |
Third Avenue Theatre (NYC) |
May 24 |
|
| |
Niblo's Garden (NYC) |
June 14-26 |
A
|
