Emperor Jones, The

Emperor Jones, The
a play (1920) by Eugene O'Neill.

* * *

▪ play by O’Neill
      drama in eight scenes by Eugene O'Neill (O'Neill, Eugene), produced in 1920 and published in 1921. The Emperor Jones was the playwright's first foray into Expressionist (Expressionism) writing.

      Based loosely on an event in Haitian history, the play shows the decline of a former Pullman porter, Brutus Jones, who has escaped from prison to an unnamed Caribbean island. With help from Cockney adventurer Henry Smithers, Jones persuades the superstitious natives that he is a magician, and they crown him emperor. He abuses and exploits his subjects and boasts of his power, insisting that only a silver bullet can kill him. Advised that an uprising is in the offing, Jones flees into the jungle. There he is forced to confront his internal demons; scenes show his private past, as images of his victims assail him. More scenes depict bizarre racial memories, including the sale at a slave auction and the earlier capture in the Congo of his ancestors. Terrified, Jones fires all his ammunition at his ghostly tormentors. In the final scene, the rebels find Jones and shoot him. Smithers, however, suggests that Jones's own fears had already killed him.

      Originally called The Silver Bullet, the play is highly effective as pure theater through its use of such elements as pulsing drums, gunshots, and the dramatic jungle setting. Dialogue does little to advance the action. Jones serves as a symbol for a debased humanity; the primeval jungle has been said to stand for modern civilization or the unconscious mind. While not considered one of O'Neill's finest plays, the work was a sensation and remains a staple of small theatre groups. Composer Louis Gruenberg wrote an opera of the same name first performed in 1933, with a libretto by Kathleen de Jaffa.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Emperor Jones, The — a play (1920) by Eugene O Neill …   Useful english dictionary

  • The Emperor Jones — This article is about the play. Some productions have separate pages; see productions and spinoffs below for links. For the independent record label, see Emperor Jones. The Emperor Jones is a play by Eugene O Neill which tells the tale of Brutus… …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Jones — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Emperor Jones Fundada 1995 Fundador(es) Craig Stewart Distribuidor Emperor Jones Género(s) Varios País de Origen Estados Unidos …   Wikipedia Español

  • The Emperor Jones —    The Provincetown Players won its first significant acclaim with The Emperor Jones when it opened at the Playwrights Theatre in New York on 1 November 1920. On 27 December 1920, it moved uptown to the Selwyn Theatre and achieved a total run of… …   The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater

  • The Emperor Jones (1933 film) — Infobox Film name = The Emperor Jones caption = director = Dudley Murphy producer = writer = starring = Paul Robeson Dudley Digges music = cinematography = editing = distributor = released = September 29, 1933 runtime = language = country =USA… …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Jones — Alternate meaning : The Emperor Jones , a play by Eugene O Neill.Emperor Jones is a small Austin, Texas based independent record label that has released albums by acts such as Alastair Galbraith, The American Analog Set, Roky Erickson, Thuja,… …   Wikipedia

  • Indiana Jones & The Emperor's Tomb — У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Индиана Джонс (значения). Indiana Jones The Emperor s Tomb …   Википедия

  • Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night — is an animated feature film that was released in Christmas of 1987 by New World Pictures. It should not be confused with the acclaimed classic 1940 film Pinocchio by Walt Disney. Running for 87 minutes and created by the now defunct Filmation… …   Wikipedia

  • Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure — У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Индиана Джонс (значения). Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Разработчик Lucasfilm Games Издатель Lucasfilm Games …   Википедия

  • LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures — LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures …   Википедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”