Publication Date

2024

School

School of Visual and Performing Arts

Major

Theatre: Acting

Keywords

Eugene O’Neill, O’Neill Play, O’Neill

Disciplines

Acting | Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory | Other Theatre and Performance Studies | Performance Studies | Playwriting

Abstract

Throughout his career, Eugene O’Neill wrote plays with strong and compelling female characters which have earned him much recognition. O’Neill’s ability to perceivably tap into a humans’ psyche and portray the deep desires of humanity was done to an extent rarely portrayed on the stage before; especially giving such complex characteristics to women, which was unconventional and unexpected for his time. Many have asked, therefore, what led O’Neill to write women as boldly as he did? It is known that his formative familial and romantic relationships were plagued by hardship, even so, he admitted to writing many of his characters based on people in his life. Why? And what does this mean to the actresses playing them? In this review, the primary instigation of research will be to answer, how did the women in Eugene O'Neill's life and their relationships inspire his writing? This will be considered both stylistically and practically. More importantly, how did they impact him personally? And, from an acting perspective, how does this type of research affect the performance of these characters? Practical application to this research has been considered as to understand how knowledge of O’Neill’s past affects the performance of his characters.

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