The professional American theatre, like its British counterpart, has
never been entirely free from legal restraint. For hundreds of years and
for many reasons, the American government, like that of Great Britain,
has exercised its police powers by passing statutes to control the
theatre. Theatrical persons and property, moreover, have been subject to
the principles of common law, as framed by immemorial custom and
interpreted by the courts. The scope and nature of statutory and
common-law American theatrical regulation are revealed in the three
parts of this book. A Conspectus of American Theatrical Legislation
details the relationship between English and American theatrical
statutes and provides a chronological overview of the development of
theatrical licenses, taxes, copyrights, contracts, blue laws, the
employment of minors, and safety regulations from colonial times until
1900. This essay also explores the legal rights and responsibilities of
theatre owners, lessees, managers, playwrights, actors, and audiences. A
Compendium of Theatrical Cases gives summaries of Anglo-American cases
that set precedents in theatrical statutes of the American states,
territories, and federal government. An introduction to the book
provides context as well as definitions of legal terms that appear
throughout, and there is an extensive index of names, subjects, and
cases.
