Tucked away on a quiet residential street, the Plays and Players Theater ( PA-SHARE Resource # 1973RE00090) at 1714 Delancey Street in Philadelphia may seem like an unlikely place for a moment in international history. The building’s modest scale and architectural style harmonize with the neighboring rowhomes. Yet, a passerby with a keen eye may notice a small plaque–inscribed in both English and Korean–telling a much larger story that connects this neighborhood theater in Philadelphia to Korea’s struggle for independence.
“This is the site”, the plaque reads, “of ‘the First Korean Congress’, April 14-16,1919, in support of Korean Independence and all oppressed nations.”
As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this year, the Plays and Players Theater offers a unique insight into how Pennsylvania’s history of independence extends beyond America’s founding, and has served as an example for numerous countries searching for democratic ideals and freedom.
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