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Overview
Synopsis
Bound East for Cardiff is one of Eugene O’Neill’s earliest plays, written for the Provincetown Players in 1916. The one-act play depicts a dying sailor in his final throes of life. As a heavy fog surrounds the ship, Yank lies convulsing in pain in a cabin bunk, with his friend and colleague, Driscoll, by his side. As Yank sees the blackness coming towards him, the two men agree that a life spent on the seas holds little pleasure or fulfillment. After a life spent running, Yank now faces the potential nothingness that follows. The play is significant for its early use of naturalistic dialogue and the symbolic use of the fog, which lifts as Yank takes his final breaths.
Show Information
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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
Naturalism is a theatrical style that seeks to depict life with accuracy, focusing on everyday speech, behavior, and settings. It often highlights ordinary people in realistic environments, emphasizing authenticity over theatricality. Emerging in the late 19th century, naturalism remains influential in contemporary drama.
Works not protected by copyright and available for free use or adaptation. Many classical plays, including Shakespeare's, fall into the public domain.
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher