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Overview
Synopsis
One of the most lauded plays in the history of American theater, Long Day’s Journey Into Night is the masterpiece of Eugene O’Neill. It is O’Neill’s most autobiographical play, and was so deeply personal that the author requested it not be produced until twenty-five years after his death. Long Day’s Journey, despite its three- to four-hour running time, unfolds entirely in a single day in the life of the Tyrone family: starting in the morning, as the Tyrones gather for breakfast, and coming to a close late that evening. Over the course of the play, Edmund Tyrone finds out he has contracted consumption, a likely fatal disease, and his mother Mary lapses back into a morphine addiction. Edmund’s brother Jamie sinks into bitter alcohol-infused delirium, and their father James, a commercially successful Broadway actor, bemoans that fear of poverty prevented him from being the artist he could have been. All four Tyrones are haunted by their failures and their fears, which gradually overwhelm them.
Show Information
- Book
- Eugene O'Neill
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 4
- First Produced
- 1956
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- August, 1912, Summer home, New England, Seaside
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- professional theater, college theater, community theater, broadway, College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Young Adult Characters
Context
Widely considered his magnum opus, Eugene O’Neill painstakingly composed Long Day’s Journey Into Night during 1941 and 1942. The play itself is heavily autobiographical; the Tyrones are named after O’Neill’s own family. James Tyrone is inspired by O’Neill’s actor father, James O’Neill, who gained fame (and criticism as a “sell out”) playing the title role in The Count of Monte Cristo for upwards of 6000 performances. Just like Mary Tyrone, O’Neill’s own mother (named Mary) attended a
to read the context for Long Day’s Journey Into Night and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
It is August, 1912, at 8:30 in the morning at the Tyrone family summer home in Connecticut. The living room is furnished simply, and its most notable feature is the extensive bookshelf, adorned with volumes ranging from Balzac to Shakespeare. Having just finished breakfast, James Tyrone and his wife Mary enter. He is jovial while she is nervous; Mary has just finished treatment at a sanatorium for morphine addiction, which she has battled for decades. Tyrone is pleased at the
to read the plot for Long Day’s Journey Into Night and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
An old term for tuberculosis, frequently referenced in period dramas to evoke suffering, mortality, or isolation.
A theatrical style that distorts reality to convey inner emotional experience, popular in early 20th-century drama.
An artist’s greatest work, often referenced in biographies or dramatizations about creative achievement and legacy.
A movement emphasizing accurate, detailed depictions of everyday life, rejecting theatricality for authenticity.
Describes works published or recognition given after a person’s death, often dramatized to highlight legacy or injustice.
A theatrical movement that strives to depict everyday life and authentic behavior on stage. It often focuses on domestic settings and psychological depth.
An object, character, or element used in a play to represent a deeper meaning or theme beyond its literal definition.
A movement and technique using symbolic imagery and metaphors to express abstract ideas and inner experiences.
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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