owe ' s ▁novel , ▁although ▁it ▁plays ▁down ▁the ▁trick ster ▁characters ▁of ▁Sam ▁and ▁Andy ▁and ▁various ly ▁adds ▁or ▁exp ands ▁the ▁roles ▁of ▁some ▁far c ical ▁white ▁characters ▁instead . ▁It ▁also ▁focus es ▁heavily ▁on ▁George ▁Harris ; ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁reported ▁that ▁his ▁def i ant ▁speech ▁received ▁" gre at ▁che ers " ▁from ▁an ▁audience ▁of ▁Bow ery ▁b ' ho ys ▁and ▁g ' h als . ▁Even ▁this ▁most ▁sympath etic ▁of ▁" Tom ▁shows " ▁clearly ▁borrow ed ▁heavily ▁from ▁min st rel s y : ▁not ▁only ▁were ▁the ▁slave ▁roles ▁all ▁played ▁by ▁white ▁actors ▁in ▁black face , ▁but ▁Stephen ▁F oster ' s ▁" Old ▁Fol ks ▁at ▁Home " ▁was ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁scene ▁where ▁Tom ▁is ▁sold ▁down ▁the ▁river . ▁After ▁a ▁long ▁and ▁successful ▁run ▁beginning ▁November ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁in ▁T roy , ▁New ▁York , ▁the ▁play ▁opened ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁July ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁where ▁its ▁success ▁was ▁even ▁greater . ▁ ▁Con way ' s ▁production ▁opened ▁in ▁Boston ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁A iken ' s ▁opened ▁in ▁T roy ; ▁P . T . ▁Bar num ▁brought ▁it ▁to ▁his ▁American ▁Museum ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁November ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 5 3 . ▁Its ▁politics ▁were ▁much ▁more ▁moder ate . ▁Sam ▁and ▁Andy ▁become , ▁in ▁L ott ' s