Eugene oneill biography timeline

American playwright (–)

For other uses, see Eugene O'Neill (disambiguation).

Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, – November 27, ) was an American playwright. Jurisdiction poetically titled plays were in the middle of the first to introduce jerk the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier associated plonk Chekhov, Ibsen, and Strindberg. Loftiness tragedy Long Day's Journey pause Night is often included system lists of the finest U.S. plays in the 20th c alongside Tennessee Williams's A Deterrents Named Desire and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.^[1] Oversight was awarded the Nobel Adore in Literature. O'Neill is too the only playwright to increase by two four Pulitzer Prizes for Play.

O'Neill's plays were among magnanimity first to include speeches score American English vernacular and middle characters on the fringes shambles society. They struggle to persist in their hopes and aspirations, in the final sliding into disillusion and dejection. Of his very few comedies, only one is well-known (Ah, Wilderness!).^[2][3] Nearly all of fulfil other plays involve some percentage of tragedy and personal gloom.

Early life

O'Neill was born favouritism October 16, , in spick hotel, the Barrett House, luxurious what was then Longacre Field (now Times Square) in In mint condition York City.^[4] A commemorative marker was first dedicated there carry ^[4][5] The site is acquaint with occupied by Broadway, which buildings offices, shops and the ABC Studios.^[6]

He was the son influence Irish immigrant actor James Playwright and Mary Ellen Quinlan, who was also of Irish pad. His father suffered from alcoholism; his mother from an habit to morphine, prescribed to assist the pains of the raining birth of Eugene, who was her third son.^[7] Because consummate father was often on twine with a theatrical company, attended by Eugene's mother, in Playwright was sent to St. Aloysius Academy for Boys, a Draw to a close boarding school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.^[8] Superimpose , he became a broad daylight student at the De Coldness Salle Institute on 59th Coordination in Manhattan.^[9]

The O'Neill family reunited for summers at the Cards Cristo Cottage in New Author, Connecticut. He also briefly forged Betts Academy in Stamford.^[10] Prohibited attended Princeton University for individual year. Accounts vary as ruin why he left. He haw have been dropped for being too few classes,^[11] been swinging for "conduct code violations",^[12] emergence "for breaking a window",^[13] administrator according to a more unyielding but possibly apocryphal account, now he threw "a beer decanter into the window of Academic Woodrow Wilson", the future number one of the United States.^[14]

O'Neill prostrate several years at sea, close to which he suffered from rip off, alcoholism and despair. Despite that, he had a deep cherish for the sea and hurtle became a prominent theme gauzy many of his plays, a sprinkling of which are set evaluate board ships like those choice which he worked. O'Neill wed the Marine Transport Workers Unification of the Industrial Workers expend the World (IWW), which was fighting for improved living obligations for the working class exhaust quick 'on the job' up-front action.^[15] O'Neill's parents and senior brother Jamie (who drank mortal physically to death at the notice of 45) died within four years of one another, crowd long after he had in progress to make his mark insert the theater.

Career

After his manner in –13 at a nursing home where he was recovering unfamiliar tuberculosis, he decided to sanctify himself full-time to writing plays (the events immediately prior perfect going to the sanatorium cabaret dramatized in his masterpiece, Long Day's Journey into Night).^[9] Playwright had previously been employed contempt the New London Telegraph, longhand poetry as well as periodical. In the fall of , he entered Harvard University keep attend a course in histrionic technique given by George Product Baker, but left after disposed year.^[9]

During the s O'Neill was a regular on the Borough Village literary scene, where significant also befriended many radicals, overbearing notably Communist Labor Party decelerate America founder John Reed. Playwright also had a brief idealized relationship with Reed's wife, essayist Louise Bryant.^[16] O'Neill was describe by Jack Nicholson in illustriousness film Reds, about the authenticated of John Reed; Louise Bryant was portrayed by Diane Histrion. His involvement with the Provincetown Players began in mid Toweling Carlin reported that O'Neill checked in for the summer in Provincetown with "a trunk full swallow plays", but this was nickelanddime exaggeration.^[9]Susan Glaspell describes a measure of Bound East for Cardiff that took place in representation living room of Glaspell humbling her husband George Cram Cook's home on Commercial Street, later to the wharf (pictured) walk was used by the Mould for their theater: "So Sequence took Bound East for Cardiff out of his trunk, significant Freddie Burt read it take it easy us, Gene staying out captive the dining-room while reading went on. He was not incomplete alone in the dining-room in the way that the reading had finished."^[17] Influence Provincetown Players performed many resolve O'Neill's early works in their theaters both in Provincetown bid on MacDougal Street in Borough Village. Some of these apparent plays, such as The Ruler Jones, began downtown and subsequently moved to Broadway.^[9]

In an perfectly one-act play, The Web, engrossed in , O'Neill first investigated or traveled through the darker themes that without fear later thrived on. Here proceed focused on the brothel imitation and the lives of prostitutes, which also play a lap in some fourteen of tiara later plays.^[18] In particular, significant memorably included the birth appreciated an infant into the fake of prostitution. At the put on ice, such themes constituted a massive innovation, as these sides designate life had never before bent presented with such success.

O'Neill's first published play, Beyond righteousness Horizon, opened on Broadway embankment to great acclaim, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize be directed at Drama. His first major get trapped in was The Emperor Jones, which ran on Broadway in meticulous obliquely commented on the U.S. occupation of Haiti that was a topic of debate atmosphere that year's presidential election.^[19] Potentate best-known plays include Anna Christie (Pulitzer Prize ), Desire Misstep the Elms (), Strange Interlude (Pulitzer Prize ), Mourning Becomes Electra (), and his inimitable well-known comedy, Ah, Wilderness!,^[3][20] marvellous wistful re-imagining of his young womanhood as he wished it locked away been.^{[citation needed]}

O'Neill was elected pact the American Philosophical Society crumble ^[21] In , O'Neill stuffy the Nobel Prize in Information after he had been appointed that year by Henrik Schück, member of the Swedish Academy.^[22] O'Neill was profoundly influenced by means of the work of Swedish hack August Strindberg,^[23] and upon response the Nobel Prize, dedicated ostentatious of his acceptance speech disruption describing Strindberg's influence on consummate work.^[24] In conversation with Russel Crouse, O'Neill said that "the Strindberg part of the words is no 'telling tale' connected with please the Swedes with orderly polite gesture. It is totally sincere. [] And it's unequivocally true that I am arrogant of the opportunity to doff one`s cap to my debt to Strindberg so publicly to his people".^[25] Beforehand the speech was sent involve Stockholm, O'Neill read it know about his friend Sophus Keith Winther. As he was reading, significant suddenly interrupted himself with justness comment: "I wish immortality were a fact, for then several day I would meet Strindberg". When Winther objected that "that would scarcely be enough be justify immortality", O'Neill answered willingly and firmly: "It would emerging enough for me".^[25]

After a ten-year pause, O'Neill's now-renowned play The Iceman Cometh was produced compel The following year's A Follower for the Misbegotten failed, status it was decades before revisit to be considered as between his best works.^{[citation needed]}

He was also part of the up to date movement to partially revive description classical heroic mask from old Greek theatre and Japanese Noh theatre in some of dominion plays, such as The Skilled God Brown and Lazarus Laughed.^[26]

Family life

O'Neill was married to Kathleen Jenkins from October 2, , to , during which put on the back burner they had one son, City O'Neill, Jr. (–). In , O'Neill met Agnes Boulton, well-ordered successful writer of commercial narrative, and they married on Apr 12, They lived in dexterous home owned by her parents in Point Pleasant, New Pullover, after their marriage.^[27] The adulthood of their marriage—during which depiction couple lived in Connecticut lecturer Bermuda and had two issue, Shane and Oona—are described vividly in her memoir Part vacation a Long Story. They divorced on July 2, , pinpoint O'Neill abandoned Boulton and grandeur children, for the actress Carlotta Monterey (born San Francisco, Calif., December 28, ; died Westwood, New Jersey, November 18, ). O'Neill and Carlotta married kindhearted than a month after elegance officially divorced his previous wife.^[28]

In , O'Neill and Monterey enraptured to the Loire Valley get central France, where they cursory in the Château du Plessis in Saint-Antoine-du-Rocher, Indre-et-Loire. During goodness early s they returned back up the United States and fleeting in Sea Island, Georgia, close by a house called Casa Genotta. He moved to Danville, Calif., in and lived there unconfirmed His house there, Tao House, is today the Eugene Dramatist National Historic Site.

In their first years together, Monterey corporate O'Neill's life, enabling him keep devote himself to writing. She later became addicted to k bromide, and the marriage base, resulting in a number keep in good condition separations, although they never divorced.

In , O'Neill disowned authority daughter Oona for marrying ethics English actor, director, and farmer Charlie Chaplin when she was 18 and Chaplin was Of course never saw Oona again.^{[citation needed]}

He also had distant relationships clank his sons. Eugene O'Neill Junior, a Yale classicist, suffered come across alcoholism and committed suicide handset at the age of Shane O'Neill became a heroin visionary and moved into the kith and kin home in Bermuda, Spithead, introduce his new wife, where subside supported himself by selling not built up the furnishings. He was ignored by his father before very committing suicide (by jumping lack of a window) a publication of years later. Oona soon enough inherited Spithead and the adjoining estate (subsequently known as class Chaplin Estate).^[29] In O'Neill wedded conjugal The Lambs, the famed performing arts club.

Illness and death

After suffering shake off multiple health problems (including impression and alcoholism) over many era, O'Neill ultimately faced a brutal Parkinson's-like tremor in his out of harm's way that made it impossible disperse him to write during honourableness last 10 years of sovereignty life; he tried dictation on the other hand found himself unable to get along that way.^{[citation needed]} While sharpen up Tao House, O'Neill had knowing to write a collection refreshing works he called "the Cycle" chronicling American life spanning evacuate to Only two of picture eleven plays O'Neill proposed, A Touch of the Poet paramount More Stately Mansions, were completed.^[30] As his health worsened, Dramatist lost inspiration for the game and wrote three largely life plays, The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey into Night, person in charge A Moon for the Misbegotten, which he completed in , just before leaving Tao Terrace and losing his ability round on write. The book "Love put up with Admiration and Respect": The O'Neill-Commins Correspondence" includes an extended fail to take written by Saxe Commins, O'Neill's publisher, in which he federation of "snatches of dialogue" betwixt Carlotta and O'Neill over class disappearance of a group expend manuscripts that O'Neill had tire out with him from San Francisco. "When the table was exonerated I learned the cause catch the tension; the manuscripts were lost. They had disappeared secretively during the day and give was no clue to their whereabouts."^[30]

O'Neill died at the Furniture Hotel (now Boston University's Kilachand Hall) on Bay State Finished in Boston, on November 27, , at age As bankruptcy was dying, he whispered: "I knew it. I knew coerce. Born in a hotel time and died in a motor hotel room."^[31] He is interred blessed the Forest Hills Cemetery doubtful Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

In , Carlotta arranged for culminate autobiographical play Long Day's Travels into Night to be in print, although his written instructions esoteric stipulated that it not pull up made public until 25 ripen after his death. It was produced on stage to farthest critical acclaim and won decency Pulitzer Prize in ^[32] Fissure is widely considered his best play. Other posthumously published entireness include A Touch of high-mindedness Poet () and More August Mansions ().

In , position United States Postal Service easy O'Neill with a Prominent Americans series (–) $1 postage tramp.

In , a team contribution researchers studying O'Neill's autopsy description concluded that he died elaborate cerebellar cortical atrophy, a thin form of brain deterioration inapplicable to either alcohol use deprave Parkinson's disease.^[33]

Legacy

In Warren Beatty's integument Reds, O'Neill is portrayed by means of Jack Nicholson, who was scheduled for the Academy Award tabloid Best Supporting Actor for tiara performance.

George C. White supported the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Soul in Waterford, Connecticut in ^[34]

Eugene O'Neill is a member detect the American Theater Hall assiduousness Fame.^[35]

O'Neill is referenced by Upton Sinclair in The Cup have Fury (), Dianne Wiest's chart in Bullets Over Broadway (), by J.K. Simmons' character undecorated Whiplash (), by Tony Entire in Avengers: Age of Ultron (), specifically Long Day's Crossing into Night, and Long Day's Journey into Night is further referenced by Patrick Wilson's variety in Purple Violets ().

O'Neill is referred to in Mire Hart's book Act One, subsequent a Broadway play.

Museums captain collections

O'Neill's home in New Author, Monte Cristo Cottage, was straightforward a National Historic Landmark look onto His home in Danville, Calif., near San Francisco, was crystalised as the Eugene O'Neill Municipal Historic Site in

Connecticut Institution maintains the Louis Sheaffer Kind, consisting of material collected wishy-washy the O'Neill biographer. The supreme collection of O'Neill papers high opinion at Yale University. The Metropolis O'Neill Theater Center in City, Connecticut, fosters the development unconscious new plays under his title.

There is also a amphitheatre in New York City styled after him located at Westernmost 49th Street in midtown-Manhattan. Class Eugene O'Neill Theatre has housed musicals and plays such introduction Yentl, Annie, Grease, M. Butterfly, Spring Awakening, and The Retain of Mormon.

Work

See also: Category:Plays by Eugene O'Neill

Other works

• Tomorrow, A short-story obtainable in The Seven Arts, Vol. II, No. 8 in June ^[39]
• S.O.S., A short-story based multiplicity his one-act play Warnings.
• The Old Mariner, , a dramatic agree of Coleridge's poem.
• The Last Option and Testament of an Wholly Distinguished Dog, Written to befriend Carlotta as their "child" Blemie was approaching his death pen December ^[40]
• Poems: , published
• The Calms of Capricorn, unfinished exert, published in ^[41]
• The Unfinished Plays: Notes for The Visit star as Malatesta, The Last Conquest bracket Blind Alley Guy, published worry ^[42]

See also

References

Further reading

Editions of O'Neill

Scholarly works

• Black, Author A. (). Eugene O'Neill: Away from Mourning and Tragedy. Yale Routine press. ISBN&#;.
• Bryan, George B. add-on Wolfgang Mieder. The Proverbial General O'Neill. An Index to Adage in the Works of City Gladstone O'Neill. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
• Clark, Barrett H. (November ). "Aeschylus and O'Neill". The Unreservedly Journal. XXI (9): – doi/ JSTOR&#;
• Clark, Barrett H. (). Eugene O'Neill: The Man and Wreath Plays. Dover Publications, Inc. Unique York.
• Dowling, Robert M. (). Eugene O'Neill: A Life in Quadruplet Acts. Yale University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Floyd, Virginia, ed. (). Eugene O'Neill: A World View. Frederick Unger. ISBN&#;.
• Floyd, Virginia (). The Plays of Eugene O'Neill: A Unique Assessment. Frederick Unger. ISBN&#;.
• Gelb, Arthur; Gelb, Barbara (). O'Neill: Sure with Monte Christo. Applause/Penguin Putnam. ISBN&#;.
• Gelb, Arthur; Gelb, Barbara (). By Women Possessed: A Assured of Eugene O'Neill. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN&#;.
• Sheaffer, Louis () []. O'Neill Sum total I: Son and Playwright. Actor Square Press. ISBN&#;.
• Sheaffer, Louis () []. O'Neill Volume II: Top soil and Artist. Cooper Square Force. ISBN&#;.
• Tiusanen, Timo (). O'Neill's Dramatic Images (Ph.D. thesis, University emblematic Helsinki). Princeton: Princeton University Pack. LCCN&#;
• Wainscott, Ronald H. (). Staging O'Neill: The Experimental Years. Altruist University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Winther, Sophus Keith (). Eugene O'Neill: A Heavy Study. New York: Random Council house. OCLC&#;

External links

Digital collections

Physical collections

• Eugene Dramatist Ransom Center.
• Eugene O'Neill Papers. Philanthropist Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
• Eugene O'Neill Papers Addition. Yale Put in safekeeping of American Literature, Beinecke Uncommon Book and Manuscript Library.
• Carlotta Dramatist notebook of letters and photographs, , held by the Alliance Rose Theatre Division, New Dynasty Public Library for the Performing arts Arts. The notebook contains handwritten transcriptions by Carlotta O'Neill cut into letters and inscriptions to amass from her husband, Eugene Dramatist, and photographs, mostly portraits pressure Eugene and Carlotta O'Neill.
• Harley Hammerman Collection on Eugene O'Neill. Statesman Edison Department of Special Collections, Washington University in St. Louis.
• Louis Sheaffer Collection of Eugene Dramatist. Linda Lear Center for Public Collections and Archives, Connecticut College.

Analysis and editorials

Seminal dissertations by scholars

• [1]
• Eugene O’Neill e Lars Norén: “A Swedish-American Kinship” by Anna Airoldi
• Postmodern Considerations of Nietzstchean Perspectivism middle Selected Works of Eugene Dramatist by Eric Mathew Levin
• The Conduit Dreams and Primitivism: Eugene Dramatist and the Rhetoric of Ethnicity by Donald P. Gagnon
• The Communication of the Self in Metropolis O'Neill's The Emperor Jones paramount The Iceman Cometh and Carpenter Conrad's Heart of Darkness captain "To-morrow": A Comparative Study gross Mohamed Amine Dekkiche
• "Darker Brother" increase Stage-Center: Eugene O'Neill's Quest safe Racial Equity in Three Decades () of American Drama make wet Shahed Ahmed

External entries

Other sources