The German play is freely adapted from an unidentified French work. The file contains materials related to rehearsal and performance, including a published copy (Berlin: Theater-Commissions-Geschäft von H. Michaelson, 1864; "Den Bühnen gegenüber als Manuscript gedruckt"), which has been annotated as a prompt-book; and 19 handwritten role books for the following parts: Hieronymus Butzke, Rentier; Röschen, seine Schwester; Trinchen, seine Tochter; Möwes, Pächter; Paul Nolte, Notar; Jakob, Krümels Sohn, Architekt; Louis, Kellner; ein Fremder; ein zweiter Kellner; erstter Schutzmann; zweiter Schutzmann; Schnurr, Polizeiwachtmeister; zweiter Schutzmann; ein Herr; erster Architekt; zweiter Architekt; Kunze, Agent; Joseph, Diener; Hannemann, Bummler; and Pätzold, Bummler. (One role is apparently missing: Krümel, Steuereinnehmer.) In the published copy, music is attributed to A. Lang. (No music is included here.) On the title page is the note: "Am Friedrich-Wilhelmstädtischen Theater fortwährend auf dem Repertoire," and the list of characters includes the contemporary cast at that theater. The names of actors and actresses noted on the covers of role books are familiar from the casts of other German-language plays in Philadelphia and reflect a cast that would have performed around 1878. All of the items are labeled by hand as the property of Theodor Bloch, who was active in German-language theater in Philadelphia from 1873 until at least the mid 1890s, first as an actor and later as a prompter, and who also ran a theater lending library. (The collection's holdings of theater newspapers and playbills contain no reference to this play.)
