Who wrote The Recruiting Officer, considered the earliest play in NYC?

• A. Meyerhold
• B. George Farquhar
• C. Freie Buhne
• D. David Belasco

Answer: (B)

George Farquhar wrote The Recruiting Officer. This Restoration comedy mocks military life and small-town manners with sharp wit and clever mistaken identities, showcasing Farquhar’s talent for lively dialogue and social satire. The play’s enduring status comes from its popularity in English theatre and its early appearances in the American colonies, including New York City, where it helped kindle the city’s nascent theatrical scene. The other names listed are figures or movements unrelated to this work—Meyerhold was a later Russian director, Freie Bühne a German reform movement, and David Belasco a prominent American producer—so they aren’t the authors of this play.