' s ▁National ▁Theater ▁( New ▁York ▁City ); ▁it ▁ran ▁for ▁about ▁ten ▁performances ▁in ▁August – Se ptember ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁sharing ▁a ▁bill ▁with ▁a ▁black face ▁bur les que ▁featuring ▁T . D . ▁R ice . ▁R ice , ▁famous ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s ▁for ▁his ▁com ic ▁and ▁clearly ▁rac ist ▁black face ▁character ▁Jim ▁Crow , ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁most ▁celebrated ▁actor ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁title ▁role ▁of ▁Tom ; ▁when ▁R ice ▁opened ▁in ▁H . E . ▁Stevens ▁play ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁at ▁New ▁York ' s ▁Bow ery ▁Theatre , ▁the ▁Spirit ▁of ▁the ▁Times ' ▁rev iewer ▁described ▁him ▁as ▁" dec ided ly ▁the ▁best ▁person ator ▁of ▁negro ▁character ▁who ▁has ▁appeared ▁in ▁any ▁drama ." ▁ ▁The ▁best - known ▁" Tom ▁Sh ows " ▁were ▁those ▁of ▁George ▁A iken ▁and ▁H . J . ▁Con way . ▁ ▁A iken ' s ▁original ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁focused ▁almost ▁entirely ▁on ▁Little ▁Eva ▁( play ed ▁by ▁child ▁star ▁Cord elia ▁Howard ); ▁a ▁sequ el , ▁The ▁Death ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Tom , ▁or ▁the ▁Religion ▁of ▁the ▁L on ely ▁told ▁Tom ' s ▁own ▁story . ▁The ▁two ▁were ▁ultimately ▁combined ▁in ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁evening - long ▁six - act ▁play . ▁According ▁to ▁L ott , ▁it ▁is ▁generally ▁faithful ▁to ▁St