Download or read book American Presidents Attend the Theatre written by Thomas A. Bogar and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2009-09-24 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Not every presidential visit to the theatre is as famous as Lincoln's last night at Ford's, but American presidents attended the theatre long before and long after that ill-fated night. In 1751, George Washington saw his first play, The London Merchant, during a visit to Barbados. John Quincy Adams published dramatic critiques. William McKinley avoided the theatre while in office, on professional as well as moral grounds. Richard Nixon met his wife at a community theatre audition. Surveying 255 years, this volume examines presidential theatre-going as it has reflected shifting popular tastes in America.