AmRev Presents: Curtains Up On “Cato,” April 9

How often did the Founders think about the Roman Empire, and did the Revolution’s politicians, actors, and playwrights use those lessons to create plays for power?  

As Carpenters’ Hall and The Philadelphia Artists’ Collective (PAC) partner to present a world premiere adaptation of “CATO (Remixed),”a new adaptation of “Cato, A Tragedy” written by Eli Lynn and directed by Damon Bonetti at Carpenters’ Hall in May 2025, the Museum of the American Revolution will join Carpenters’ Hall and PAC to discuss how re-staging historic plays can continue to inspire American audiences today and piece together ancient inspiration for Revolutionary ideals. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 9 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Alan B. Miller Theater. Tickets will include an invitation to enjoy a reception and view Roman connections discovered in Revolutionary Philadelphia’s trash, now on view Museum’s featured artifact display, Trash Tells the Truth: Archaeology at the Museum. 

The dramatic leadership of Julius Caesar, Cato (the Younger), and others inspired Revolutionaries like Mercy Otis Warren to write history for the stage and Patrick Henry to paraphrase a favorite line from Joseph Addison’s London hit play, “Cato, A Tragedy” when he demanded “Liberty or Death!” Ironically, Henry had been present as a Virginia delegate in Philadelphia’s Carpenters’ Hall, when The First Continental Congress decided to ban theatrical entertainment in 1774.  Around that time, an unknown Philadelphian etched a quote by Marcus Portius Cato himself in their glass windowpane, which survives as a broken glass fragment now on view in Trash Tells the Truth. In May 1778, General George Washington gave special permission for Continental soldiers to form an unlikely cast and perform “Cato” before they left camp at Valley Forge. What made this play such a marquee event? And what can modern theater-makers discover in it?

Join the Museum, Carpenters’ Hall, and PAC for a conversation on connections between Rome and the Revolution, set to be moderated by Peter Schmitz, host of the “Adventures in Theater History” podcast, faculty at Temple University and author of Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia. The panel will feature: 

• Eli Lynn, Barrymore Award-winning fight director and playwright, “CATO (Remixed)” 

• Chaz T. Martin, screenwriter and dramaturg, “CATO (Remixed)” 

• Dr. Shawn David McGhee, historian and author, No Longer Subjects of the British King: The Political Transformation of Royal Subjects to Republican Citizens, 1774-1776  

• Dr. Chelsea Phillips, associate professor at Villanova University and associate director for Villanova Theatre   

• Framing remarks by Museum Senior Manager of Gallery Interpretation Dr. Tyler Putman and Executive Director of The Carpenters’ Company Michael Norris 

Tickets to this event are $20 or $15 for Museum Members, and can be purchased here.