Valley Forge (play)
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Valley Forge is a 1934 three-act historical play by Maxwell Anderson, about the winter that George Washington spent in Valley Forge.[1] It has four settings, a large cast, and slow pacing. It concerns Washington's struggle to keep faith with his soldiers amidst intrigue from General Howe and the British Army in Philadelphia, and despite little support and outright treachery from the Continental Congress.[2] Like the playwright's earlier historical dramas, Elizabeth the Queen and Mary of Scotland, the play's action, though set in historical circumstances, is fictional.[3]
Valley Forge | |
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Written by | Maxwell Anderson |
Directed by | Herbert Biberman and John Houseman |
Date premiered | December 10, 1934 |
Place premiered | Guild Theatre |
Original language | English |
Subject | Perseverance in difficulty |
Genre | Historical drama |
Setting | Bunkhouse at Valley Forge; Washington's Headquarters; Ballroom in Philadelphia; Barn on Hay Island; January 1778 |
The play was produced by the Theatre Guild and staged by Herbert Biberman and John Houseman.[3] A minuet dance within the play was choreographed by Martha Graham, and had music arranged by Max Weiser.[1] The settings were designed by Kate Drain Lawson and costumes by Carroll French.[4] The original production starred Philip Merivale as George Washington. The play has had no Broadway revival, but was adapted for television on several occasions, starting in 1950.[5]