New Play "Cato & Dolly" Premieres at Old State House

The Bostonian Society presents the world premiere of Cato and Dolly, an all-new play by Playwright Patrick Gabridge at Boston's historic Old State House, running through September 29, 2018. The new play, commissioned specifically for the Old State House's Through the Keyhole exhibition, reveals life behind the door of the Hancock House, Governor John Hancock’s 18th century Beacon Hill home. In addition to viewing the historic door itself, on public view for the first time in decades, visitors to Through the Keyhole will experience the new 20-minute play which offers a glimpse of everyday life behind the Hancock door through the eyes of those who lived there: Cato Hancock, an enslaved person in the Hancock household and Dolly Hancock, John Hancock's wife and First Lady of Massachusetts.

Cato & Dolly runs for 9 performances per week Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 2 pm through September 29, 2018. The play is included in the price of admission to Through the Keyhole at the Old State House, 206 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02109. For more information see www.bostonhistory.org or call 617-720-1713.

Playwright Patrick Gabridge is an award-winning writer of stage plays, novels, audio plays, and screenplays. His short plays have been produced more 1,000 times in theatres and schools in 14 different countries around the world. Gabridge’s site-specific play Blood on the Snow was commissioned in 2016 by the Bostonian Society to dramatize the aftermath of the Boston Massacre, one of the most formative events in the American Revolution.

In Cato & Dolly Gabridge gives life to Cato and Dolly Hancock, as well as other Revolutionary-era figures whose lives intersected at the famous Hancock House over the course of 50 years from 1764-1816. The play follows these real-life individuals through some of early America’s most pivotal events, giving new perspective to the American narrative. Two actors will inhabit the show’s multiple characters, taking us through the threshold into never-before-seen drama unfolding behind the door.

Cato & Dolly features a rotating cast of Boston-based actors including Stephen Sampson and Felton Sparks
as “Cato,” and Margaret Clark, Marge Dunn, and Becca Lewis as “Dolly.” Directed by Elliot Norton Award winner Courtney O’Connor.

About the Through the Keyhole Exhibit:

The Through the Keyhole exhibit at the Old State House runs through December, 2018, exploring how the objects we preserve shape the stories we remember. The exhibit centers around the front door of the Hancock House, newly set in a meticulous recreation of its original surrounding entryway crafted by students from the Preservation Carpentry program at North Bennet Street School. The exhibit also features additional items from The Bostonian Society’s collection including the Hancock family bible, Dolly Hancock’s quilt, and wooden mementos made from the timbers of the original Hancock House. The demolition of the Hancock House in 1863 caused a massive public outcry and launched a preservation movement in New England that saved countless buildings and artifacts from destruction. The twelve-panel door that served as the Hancock House’s entryway for 126 years became part of the Bostonian Society collection in 1899.

Enhanced by specialized tours, original programming, and community events, Through the Keyhole presents the Hancock House door as a gateway for visitors to re-examine the national narrative and challenge visitors to think about the objects we preserve, and how they form our perceptions of who we are as Americans.

The play Cato & Dolly is included in the price of admission to Through the Keyhole at the Old State House, 206 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02109. Open 7 days a week from 9-5; from Memorial Day through Labor Day open 9-6. Adults $10.00, discounts apply for seniors and students. Youth ages 6-18, Massachusetts Teachers, EBT Cardholders, US Military and Veterans are admitted free. Located on the MBTA Blue/Orange line to State Street. For more information see www.bostonhistory.org or call 617-720-1713.

*** PRODUCTION PHOTOS: Stephen Sampson as "Cato" and Marge Dunn as "Dolly" - Photos by Nile Hawver / Nile Scott Shots ***