Barker's plays show awareness of the problems with the government's attitude that it was the center of the new America's society. He sought to demonstrate that the American experience could be used to shape national identity. He considered himself to be an American playwright who was committed to exploring native subjects and themes. His work reflected the conflict for American authors in finding their own native voice. He believed that American artistic tastes should be independent of those of Europe, and condemned Americans' feelings of inferiority. He took the position that American art was to be both democratic and useful. Two of Barker's most popular plays were
The Indian Princess and
Marmion.
Superstition is considered one of Barker's best plays. collaborating with the English John Bray, who wrote the music. It is the first play that survives in its entirety with Native American characters (
Ponteach from 1766, for example, was a play about Native Americans that was never produced). It was also the first original American play to be produced in London after being premiered in America. In a letter of June 10, 1832, to
William Dunlap, Barker said that the London production at
Drury Lane "differs essentially from mine in the plan and arrangement". It is based on Captain
John Smith's
Generall Historie of Virginia (1624), though he used Smith's text freely. Its New York premiere was at the Park Theatre on June 14, 1809. Even though romantic conquest takes precedence over colonial conquest, it is evident that the connection between the two is strong.
The Indian Princess gained popularity due to a search for a national identity, as American history was becoming more popular. As Jeffrey H. Richards noted, "In Barker, the Native Americans are identified specifically with a history of the North American mainland and a people that spectators in 1808 would easily identify as Indian." A common practice of the time was to add music to performances, whether in song or not. Because of the music, audiences flocked to it.
Marmion Marmion; or, The Battle of Flodden Field (1812), was premiered in New York at the Park Theatre on April 13, 1812. It is a blank-verse dramatization of
Sir Walter Scott's poem
Marmion. It was premiered in New York because there was already a production in Philadelphia with the same name at the Olympic Theatre.
Marmion had its Philadelphia premiere on January 1, 1813. Though it is set in sixteenth century England and Scotland, it addressed nineteenth century America and its relationship with England regarding a heated debate with Congress about the imprisonment of American seamen. However, according to the diary of
William Wood, who requested that Barker write the play, the ticket sales were as follows: :Jan. 1, 1813, $1414.75Jan. 2, $357.25Jan. 11, $578Jan. 18, $845Feb. 5, 332Feb. 15, $466. According to Wood, the truth was revealed after the sixth or seventh performance. Ticket sales remained constant, and
Marmion was one of the longest running dramas of Barker's career. By the time
Marmion premiered in Philadelphia, Barker had gone to the Canada–US border as captain of the Second Artillery Regiment.
Superstition; or, The Fanatic Father Superstition, or, The Fanatic Father (1824) was first staged on the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia on March 12, 1824.
Superstition is a melodrama written during the Romantic movement that took form in America in the early 1800s. According to Allan Gates Halline in his introduction to
Superstition in
American Plays, "The appeal to reason and knowledge suggest that Barker was reflecting the rationalistic thought current shortly before and partly during the period in which he was writing." The setting of
Superstition takes place in the Puritans' Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th-century. The play's protagonist, Charles Fitzroy, and his mother, Isabella, are unfairly condemned by the town's Puritan leader, Reverend Ravensworth. After the New England town defends itself from a Native American raid, Charles and Isabella are put on trial and are executed for supposed witchcraft.
Superstition addresses the hypocritical practices of the Puritans as well as glorifying American exceptionalism. While this melodrama does follow many of the common tropes and character archetypes for which 19th-century melodrama was known, Barker subverts many of these expectations by including a tragic ending where the protagonist dies and the antagonist goes unpunished. According to John Gassner's introduction to
Superstition in
Best American Plays, "[
Superstition] was also the culmination of Baker's most distinguishing characteristics, as a playwright—namely, his concern with American subjects and problems." ==1812-1819==