Materials related to rehearsal and performance, including a published copy (Berlin, 1860; Druck von C. Gutschmidt & Comp., "Gedrucktes Bühnen-Manuscript," "Alleiniges und ausschliessliches Eigenthum des conc. Theater-Agenten Herrn A. Heinrich's Nachfolger, A. Entsch in Berlin"), which has been annotated as a promptbook; and 15 handwritten role books, for the following parts (the complete character list): der Bürgermeister; Schnapper, vormals Kaufmann, jetzt Particulier; Katharina, seine Tochter; Hesse, Kaufmann; Emma, seine Tochter; Robert Sturm, Buchhalter; Wahrlieb, Redacteur und Herausgeber der Schöpsenbrücker Wochenblattes; Weber, sein Famulus; Tuterich, Aufwärter im Schützenhause; Susanne, Köchin, eine Berlinerin; Frau Möbel, Haushälterin bei Schnapper; Stieglitz, Schneidermeister; Groberich, Schuhmachermeister; Gabel, Barbier; and ein Zeitungsjunge. A playbill clipping (a newspaper ad) pasted to the inside front cover of the published copy advertises the play as "new" and being performed for the first time in America, at Turnerhalle Sommer-Theater, Philadelphia, on 6 Oct. 1873. (It was performed under the title "Die Schöppenstädter, oder: Wer erbt $200 000 von Philadelphia.") Names of actors and actresses noted on the covers of role books reflect about four different casts over time, apparently including at least two performances in Philadelphia in the mid to late 1870s; other names could not be placed. The published copy is labeled as the property of Theodor Bloch, who was active in German-language theater in Philadelphia from at least the early 1870s until the mid 1890s, first as an actor and later as a prompter, and who ran a theater lending library; the title appears in Bloch's catalog for his library, dated 1886 (see box 34). (The collection's holdings of theater newspapers and playbills contain no reference to this play.)
