STAGED READING
THE DAY THE PRESIDENT CAME TO TOWN
Written by Walt Scadden · Performed by The Pine Street Players
Monday, November 9, 2026
7:00 PM
General Admission Seating: $10
Every ticket benefits The Little Theatre of Manchester
On November 9, 1789, George Washington stopped in Manchester. On November 9, 2026, he stops in again.
On a Monday in November 1789, President George Washington was heading home from his first tour of New England when his carriage stopped at the tavern run by Deodatus and Esther Woodbridge at Manchester Green. He noted the stop in his diary. Exactly 237 years later, on the same date and weekday, Cheney Hall brings that visit back to life.
The Day the President Came to Town, written by the late Walt Scadden, tells the story of Washington's chance visit to the Woodbridge Tavern and the magical meeting it sparks with young Electa Woodbridge. It is hometown history with a little wonder, presented as a simple staged reading on the Cheney Hall stage.
Walt was part of the Cheney Hall family for years: a subscriber, a regular at Evenings@7 (our playreading series), and an enthusiastic presence at many of our lectures and other events. When community members and Walt's family asked to present his play in his memory, only one place could host it. His family generously agreed to make the evening a benefit for Little Theatre of Manchester.
Directed by Dwayne Harris and performed by The Pine Street Players, the cast features Susan Barlow, Malcolm Barlow, Robert Shanbaum, Steven Penny, Sparky Lynn, Mike Selissen, Tom Matrick, and Bill Johnson, including several members of Walt's own family.
This is a live staged reading of an original play about Manchester history, and every $10 ticket supports the theater Walt loved.
Same town. Same date. 237 years later.
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In the fall of 1789, George Washington made his first presidential tour of New England, traveling by carriage through Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. On his way home, he set out on Monday, November 9, at about seven in the morning, breakfasted at Brigham's Tavern in Coventry, and stopped at Woodbridge's tavern before reaching Hartford a little before four. Deodatus and Esther Woodbridge kept the tavern at what is now Manchester Green, then part of East Hartford. Washington recorded the stop in his diary, which survives in the George Washington Papers. Today the Woodbridge Farmstead belongs to the Manchester Historical Society, which operates a museum there.
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What is a play reading?
A play reading is a simple, intimate way to experience a play. The actors perform with scripts in hand and with little or no scenery or costumes, so the story and characters take center stage.
What is the running time?
The performance should run approximately 1 hour and will not include an intermission.