Ah, Wilderness! is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a happy family in turn of the century America. It is O'Neill's only well-known comedy.
The Miller family home in small town Connecticut, July 4, 1906
The play was successful in its first Broadway production and the touring production that followed. It has since become a staple of community repertory.
The play takes place on the Fourth of July 1906 and focuses on the Miller family, presumably of New London, Connecticut. The main plot deals with the middle son, 16-year-old Richard, and his coming of age in turn-of-the-century America. "Perhaps the most atypical of the author's works, the play presents a sentimental tale of youthful indiscretion in a turn-of-the-century New England town."[1]
Around the table in the original 1933 Broadway production of Ah, Wilderness! are (from left) George M. Cohan (Nat Miller), Eda Heinemann (Lily), Elisha Cook, Jr. (Richard), Gene Lockhart (Sid), Marjorie Marquis (Mrs. Nat Miller), Walter Vonnegut, Jr. (Tommy) and Adelaide Bean (Mildred).
Theatre Guild Producer Philip Moeller Director Robert Edmond Jones Scenic Designer CAST George M. Cohan as Nat Miller Adelaide Bean as Mildred Miller John Butler as Salesman Ruth Chorpenning as Norah Elisha Cook, Jr. as the son, Richard Miller Ruth Gilbert as Muriel McComber Eda Heinemann as Lily Miller Ruth Holden as Belle Gene Lockhart as Sid Davis Marjorie Marquis as David's mother, Essie Miller Donald McClelland as Bartender William Post, Jr. as Arthur Miller Richard Sterling as David McComber Walter Vonnegut, Jr. as Tommy Miller John Wynne as Wint Selby
When the play first toured, Will Rogers took the role of the warmhearted Nat, perhaps contributing to the critical and audience success of the play, a staple of community repertory since the original production.[1]
Reception
The play was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1933–1934 with George M. Cohan in the cast[2] and again as a revival in 1941–42.[3]
In a review of a 1998 production of the play at The Huntington Theatre in Boston, the reviewer noted O'Neill, who "penned [it] in a single month in 1932, the Harvard educated playwright takes a well deserved vacation from this cold and unrelenting world, and gives us a surprisingly warm portrayal of middle-class family life in "large small-town America."" He further remarked about the play "The character Richard Miller was clearly modeled on O'Neill's image of himself as an aspiring poet, but unlike O'Neill, Richard's rebellion is quelled and his craving for romantic endeavors extinguished by a loving family who cares and wishes him the best."[4]
Adaptations
Newspaper advertisement for The Campbell Playhouse presentation of "Ah, Wilderness" (September 17, 1939)
The play was made into a 1935 film of the same title and again in 1948 as the musical Summer Holiday. Mickey Rooney starred as Tommy in the former and Richard in the latter. The success of the first film led MGM to reunite much of the cast in another film based on a small town coming of age play, A Family Affair, which became the basis for the Andy Hardy series.
The play was also adapted for radio on The Campbell Playhouse produced by and starring Orson Welles on September 17, 1939.[5] It was also adapted for Theatre Guild On The Air on October 7, 1945, The Ford Theatre on November 2, 1947, and Studio One on July 15, 1948.
On June 15, 1955, a televised adaptation was shown on Front Row Center on CBS.[6]
^ ab"Ah, Wilderness! Play by O'Neill". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
^Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Dramatic Compositions, Motion Pictures. Dramatic Compositions, No. 10, 1934. Vol. 6. 1934. p. 5835. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
^Burns Mantle, ed. (1942). The Best Plays of 1941–42 and the Yearbook of the Drama in America. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
^Olveczky, Bence (June 12, 1998). "Ah, Wilderness!: Eugene O'Neill's play about his best friends as a kid". Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Tech. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
^"The Campbell Playhouse: Ah, Wilderness!". Orson Welles on the Air, 1938–1946. Indiana University Bloomington. September 17, 1939. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
^Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 372. ISBN0-345-42923-0.
Further reading
O'Neill, Eugene (1933). Ah, Wilderness: A Comedy of Recollection in Three Acts (First ed.). London: Samuel French. OCLC 70376389.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ah, Wilderness!.
Ah, Wilderness! production archive November 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine at eONeill.com
1954 Theatre Guild on the Air radio adaptation of original play at Internet Archive
May 01, 2023
wilderness, other, uses, disambiguation, comedy, american, playwright, eugene, neill, that, premiered, broadway, guild, theatre, october, 1933, differs, from, typical, neill, play, happy, ending, central, character, depiction, happy, family, turn, century, ame. For other uses see Ah Wilderness disambiguation Ah Wilderness is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2 1933 It differs from a typical O Neill play in its happy ending for the central character and depiction of a happy family in turn of the century America It is O Neill s only well known comedy Ah Wilderness First edition 1933Written byEugene O NeillDate premieredOctober 2 1933Place premieredGuild TheatreNew York CityOriginal languageEnglishGenreComedySettingThe Miller family home in small town Connecticut July 4 1906The play was successful in its first Broadway production and the touring production that followed It has since become a staple of community repertory Contents 1 Theme 2 Title 3 Opening night credits 4 Reception 5 Adaptations 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksTheme EditThe play takes place on the Fourth of July 1906 and focuses on the Miller family presumably of New London Connecticut The main plot deals with the middle son 16 year old Richard and his coming of age in turn of the century America Perhaps the most atypical of the author s works the play presents a sentimental tale of youthful indiscretion in a turn of the century New England town 1 Title EditThe title derives from Quatrain XII of Edward Fitzgerald s translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam 5th edition 1889 one of Richard s favorite poems A Book of Verses underneath the Bough A Jug of Wine a Loaf of Bread and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness Oh Wilderness were Paradise enow Opening night credits Edit Around the table in the original 1933 Broadway production of Ah Wilderness are from left George M Cohan Nat Miller Eda Heinemann Lily Elisha Cook Jr Richard Gene Lockhart Sid Marjorie Marquis Mrs Nat Miller Walter Vonnegut Jr Tommy and Adelaide Bean Mildred Theatre Guild ProducerPhilip Moeller DirectorRobert Edmond Jones Scenic DesignerCASTGeorge M Cohan as Nat Miller Adelaide Bean as Mildred Miller John Butler as Salesman Ruth Chorpenning as Norah Elisha Cook Jr as the son Richard Miller Ruth Gilbert as Muriel McComber Eda Heinemann as Lily Miller Ruth Holden as Belle Gene Lockhart as Sid Davis Marjorie Marquis as David s mother Essie Miller Donald McClelland as Bartender William Post Jr as Arthur Miller Richard Sterling as David McComber Walter Vonnegut Jr as Tommy Miller John Wynne as Wint SelbyWhen the play first toured Will Rogers took the role of the warmhearted Nat perhaps contributing to the critical and audience success of the play a staple of community repertory since the original production 1 Reception EditThe play was included in Burns Mantle s The Best Plays of 1933 1934 with George M Cohan in the cast 2 and again as a revival in 1941 42 3 In a review of a 1998 production of the play at The Huntington Theatre in Boston the reviewer noted O Neill who penned it in a single month in 1932 the Harvard educated playwright takes a well deserved vacation from this cold and unrelenting world and gives us a surprisingly warm portrayal of middle class family life in large small town America He further remarked about the play The character Richard Miller was clearly modeled on O Neill s image of himself as an aspiring poet but unlike O Neill Richard s rebellion is quelled and his craving for romantic endeavors extinguished by a loving family who cares and wishes him the best 4 Adaptations Edit Newspaper advertisement for The Campbell Playhouse presentation of Ah Wilderness September 17 1939 The play was made into a 1935 film of the same title and again in 1948 as the musical Summer Holiday Mickey Rooney starred as Tommy in the former and Richard in the latter The success of the first film led MGM to reunite much of the cast in another film based on a small town coming of age play A Family Affair which became the basis for the Andy Hardy series The play was also adapted for radio on The Campbell Playhouse produced by and starring Orson Welles on September 17 1939 5 It was also adapted for Theatre Guild On The Air on October 7 1945 The Ford Theatre on November 2 1947 and Studio One on July 15 1948 On June 15 1955 a televised adaptation was shown on Front Row Center on CBS 6 The story was also made into the 1959 Broadway musical Take Me Along starring Jackie Gleason as the drunken Uncle Sid Beery s role in the film Walter Pidgeon as Nat and Robert Morse as Richard The production ran for 448 performances Gleason won the 1960 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical A revival in 1984 had a successful run for six months in Connecticut and Washington D C but closed on Broadway after only a short debut and a week of previews References Edit a b Ah Wilderness Play by O Neill Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved July 9 2015 Catalogue of Copyright Entries Dramatic Compositions Motion Pictures Dramatic Compositions No 10 1934 Vol 6 1934 p 5835 Retrieved July 9 2015 Burns Mantle ed 1942 The Best Plays of 1941 42 and the Yearbook of the Drama in America New York Dodd Mead and Company Retrieved July 9 2015 Olveczky Bence June 12 1998 Ah Wilderness Eugene O Neill s play about his best friends as a kid Cambridge Massachusetts The Tech Retrieved July 9 2015 The Campbell Playhouse Ah Wilderness Orson Welles on the Air 1938 1946 Indiana University Bloomington September 17 1939 Retrieved July 31 2018 Brooks Tim Marsh Earle 1999 The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 Present 7th ed New York The Ballentine Publishing Group p 372 ISBN 0 345 42923 0 Further reading EditO Neill Eugene 1933 Ah Wilderness A Comedy of Recollection in Three Acts First ed London Samuel French OCLC 70376389 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ah Wilderness Ah Wilderness production archive Archived November 21 2008 at the Wayback Machine at eONeill com Ah Wilderness play at the Internet Broadway Database Ah Wilderness 1933 original production at the Internet Broadway Database Take Me Along musical at the Internet Broadway Database Ah Wilderness 1935 film at IMDb Photos of a production of Ah Wilderness 1954 Theatre Guild on the Air radio adaptation of original play at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ah Wilderness amp oldid 1145588829, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
