What was theater in America like in the new republic? Did George Washington go to plays? “The Contrast,” being staged at the Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake by Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, is purported to be the first American comedy. It was written in 1787, and it deals with money and marriage and what value, if any, a woman has.
It begins with two attractive women, Charlotte (Jenna Kuerzi) and Letitia (Eliza Carson), in fine dress, talking to each other about the upcoming marriage of Maria (Brittany Onukwugha), a young woman, who doesn’t want to marry Billy Dimple but thinks she must obey her father’s wishes. To be honest, I didn’t follow any of this conversation as they were spitting out names and talking fast, with their backs to me in this theater-in-the round production. It was the only time that I was confused, and I did understand it in time.
Dimple (James Kern) represents the snobbish British-like personality, in contrast to the honorable Colonel Henry Manly (Zachary Valdez), Charlotte’s brother, who served in the Revolutionary War, and has come to the city to aid the veterans of the war, who he calls his family. He is dressed in an unfashionable soldier’s coat.
After a while, we learn that Dimple also wants to get out of the marriage to Maria but can’t be open about it. He tells Charlotte he loves her but needs Letitia’s money. But soon after that, Charlotte overhears him criticizing her to Letitia. He is a dandy who prefers European ways. He is a two-timer and cannot be trusted.
Then there is the second story wherein a young man Jonathan (Kevin McCann), Manley’s waiter, is in New York for the first time. A bit of a country bumpkin, he is convinced by the conniving Jessamy (Brandon Tyler), Dimple’s servant, that the newcomer can have any woman he wants if he learns the etiquette of courting from Jessamy. It’s very funny.
Mary and Manly meet briefly and fall for each other, but Mary’s father dismisses the young man because of his clothing. He also tosses her novels in the fire as he feels they are corrupting her with unrealistic ideas about romance. “Money makes the mare go,” he says. I looked up the old British term- it is a “lighthearted but derogatory way to describe a woman acting in an annoying or stupid manner.”
The main focus is on the relationships, the hypocrisies, and the points of view of each character… and there is humor throughout. I appreciated the effective manner in which Director Ann Garner moved her actors about the stage after that first scene. She also allowed them to connect with the audience with knowing glances without making it silly. .I’m sure the new Americans loved it… I know I did.
“The Contrast” by Royall Tyler at Philadelphia Artists’ Collective at The Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, 302 S. Hicks St., Phila., PA 19102, 215-274-0909, philartistscollective.org, thru April 26,, 2026
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 