Our American Cousin - Classic Text | Alexandria
A seemingly innocuous drawing-room comedy became forever etched in American history as the backdrop to one of the nation's most pivotal moments. "Our American Cousin," a three-act play written by English dramatist Tom Taylor in 1858, achieved lasting notoriety not for its artistic merits but for being the production during which President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865.
The play first premiered at Laura Keene's Theatre in New York City on October 15, 1858, starring Joseph Jefferson III as Asa Trenchard, a rustic American who inherits a British estate. The production's initial success stemmed from its satirical portrayal of the cultural clash between American and British sensibilities, particularly through the character of Lord Dundreary, whose malapropisms and eccentric behavior became so popular that they spawned a genre of "Dundrearyisms" in contemporary popular culture.
Despite its lightweight comedic premise, the play's trajectory took a dark turn when John Wilkes Booth, familiar with the production's timing, chose to fire his fatal shot during the third act's biggest laugh line: "Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal—you sockdologizing old man-trap." This moment occurred approximately ten minutes before the play's conclusion, at around 10:15 PM, forever linking this otherwise unremarkable piece of Victorian theater to one of America's most traumatic historical events.
The play's legacy extends beyond its association with Lincoln's assassination. It represents a significant example of nineteenth-century transatlantic cultural exchange, highlighting the period's complex relationship between American and British societies. Modern productions are rare but continue to draw audiences interested in both its historical significance and its window into Victorian-era social comedy. The play serves as a poignant reminder of how seemingly ordinary cultural artifacts can become extraordinary through their intersection with historical events, prompting ongoing examination of the relationship between popular entertainment and political violence in American society.