Gayle Stahlhuth, photo by Katrina Ferguson
(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- "Before we retired to bed, an attempt was made to teach the children to pronounce 'vegates,' (how do you do?) like a German. Our good neighbors are a little concerned to think there is not one in the neighborhood who will be able to interpret for us when the Hessians are quartered here," wrote Margaret Morris in her diary on December 21, 1776.
Margaret was living in Burlington, NJ when she began writing detailed entries in her diary on December 6, 1776. She knew General Washington had been defeated at the Battle of Long Island and was headed south, pursued by British General Sir William Howe. The Pennsylvania Navy, and the Pennsylvania and New Jersey militias were patrolling the Delaware River, preparing for war to come to Philadelphia. It was only a matter of time before Burlington, located along this river, not far from Philadelphia, would be invaded by Hessians. As many of her neighbors fled Burlington, Margaret remained, not knowing her fate, as she continued writing her story.
On Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at noon as part of Cape May MAC’s Lunch and Learn series, Classic American Tales (CAT) presents the premiere of Margaret’s Diary During a Revolution written and performed by artistic director Gayle Stahlhuth.
The performance is free, and offered both live at the Cape May Lutheran Church Hall, 509 Pittsburgh Ave., Cape May, NJ, and by Zoom. No registration is required if attending in person. Click here to register for the Zoom.
The scene is set in a lecture hall in 1795 so that Stahlhuth is able to use Margaret’s diary along with facts that she would have learned later. The focus is from December 6, 1776 through January 3, 1777, which includes Washington’s triumph at the Battle of Trenton. Stahlhuth made a few tweaks to her diary when pronouns and some sentence structures were confusing, but other than that, it is Margaret’s diary.
Margaret’s Diary During a Revolution came to be because Sara Cureton, Executive Director of the NJ Historical Commission, asked if Stahlhuth could create a play about the American Revolution. Earlier, Cureton commissioned Stahlhuth to create a play to honor the 100th Anniversary of the United States entering WWI. She hired James Rana to write the play, A Year in the Trenches, while she served as dramaturg, producer, and director of the premiere at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May in 2017. It was so successful that she brought it back in 2018.
To learn more about other locations for Margaret’s Diary During a Revolution and some of the 2026 Season, visit www.ClassicAmericanTales.org. CAT is a nonprofit theater with the mission to “Tell America’s stories one tale at a time.”
