School for Scandal opens at the New Exhibition Room.

Written by William Sheridan, it s the first play performed in Boston. The production is shut down two days later by Sheriff Jeremiah Allen, who arrests cast member and theater manager Joseph Harper for violating the laws against theatrical exhibitions, setting off a riot by the audience. Public protest and Harper’s defense by attorney Harrison Gray Otis the next day at a hearing at Faneuil Hall lead to the arrest being waived. Although Gov. John Hancock protests the decision, the performances are allowed to resume.