Father, the; or, American Shandyism

Father, the; or, American Shandyism (1789), a comedy by William Dunlap.[John Street Theatre, in repertory.] Mr. Racket ( Lewis Hallam Jr.) is a carefree young merchant whose fun‐loving ways have not always included Mrs. Racket ( Mrs. Owen Morris). As a result, she has been flirting with Ranter [in some versions, Rusport] ( Mr. Biddle), who is masquerading as a British officer, though he is really the servant of Captain Haller ( Mr. Harper). Ranter is not as interested in Mrs. Racket as he is in her sister, Caroline ( Mrs. Henry), whom he wants to marry for her money. Ranter's plans are frustrated by the arrival of Haller and his long‐lost father, Colonel Duncan [in some versions, Colonel Campbell] ( John Henry). Interwoven throughout the action is a charlatan‐doctor, Tattle [in some versions, Quiescent] ( Thomas Wignell). While the Gazette of the United States recorded that “sentiment, wit and comique humor are happily blended” and that “this Comedy bids fair to be a favorite entertainment,” Dunlap himself concluded, “Its merits have never entitled it to a revival.” Yet the comedy played occasionally in the early 19th century under the title of The Father of an Only Child. The “Shandyism” of the subtitle refers to Sterne's popular novel Tristram Shandy.