S.S. Glencairn

Glencairn Comments

The S.S. Glencairn is a collection of four of O'Neill's short one act plays about the life of sailors that are commonly performed together. These plays represent an early stage in Eugene O'Neill's writing, and an important development in American Theatre. The play have been produced by the Provincetown Players both in Provincetown and on Broadway, and by the WPA.

The Plays and Production History

The plays that comprise the collection are:

Moon of the Caribbees (1917)

In the Zone (1917)

Bound East for Cardiff (1914)

Long Voyage Home (1917)

The order here is based on the two Provincetown Players' Broadway productions. This follows a chronological sequence based on events in the plays. (Yank's death, Olson's disappearance, etc.)

The first production ran from November 1924 through February 1925, and the section production ran January through March 1929.

In October 1937, The WPA Federal Theatre ran an all-black production called One Act Plays of the Sea with the same plays. This time, the order was based on the order O'Neill wrote the plays:

Bound East for Cardiff

In the Zone

Long Voyage Home

Moon of the Caribbees

The production was directed by William Challee, also known for being a member of The Group Theatre.

The plays were also made into a film, Long Voyage Home with John Wayne as Olson. O'Neill claimed that this film was the best adaptation of his work he ever saw.

Characters

Over the course of the four plays, many characters appear more than once. These characters are seamen on the Glencairn. They include:

• Cocky, Driscoll, Ivan (All four plays)
• Davis, Paul, Scotty, Smitty (All except Long Voyage Home)
• Olson (All except In the Zone)
• Yank (Bound East for Cardiff and Moon of the Caribbees

The seamen represent a variety of nationalities, such as American (Yank), English (Smitty and Cocky), Swedish (Olson), Russian (Ivan), as well as others.

Settings

*Forward deck of the SS Glencairn, at Anchor Off, island in the West Indies, 1913 (Moon of the Caribbees)

*Forecastle of the SS Glencairn during the Great War (In the Zone)

*Forecastle of the SS Glencairn during a voyage from NY to Cardiff (Bound East for Cardiff)

*A bar of a dive on the London waterfront (Long Voyage Home)

Plot Summaries

Moon of the Caribbees

The seamen and firemen of the Glencairn are enjoying a night in the Caribbean. The men lay about the deck listening to a Negro chant. After singing their own song, the men smuggle some alcohol on the ship. There is a brief fireman-seamen argument which is quickly stopped. The women come, bringing the alcohol, and they and the men go inside. Smitty remains outside. After forcing Perl away, the ship's Donkeyman arrives. He and Smitty discuss woman and love. Smitty is more proper, and is not interested in any of the girls. (Smitty's story later is fully explained)

In the Zone

The Glencairn is sailing through WWI war zone waters. Scotty and Davis catch Smitty trying to hide something. After Smitty goes on his shift, the seamen start making accusations that Smitty is a German spy. When Smitty returns, they jump him and go through his box, only to find love letters (which they believe are coded) and a pressed flower. Reading the letters, they learn that Smitty went to sea after alcohol ruined his relationship with Edith. They let him go. Smitty apologizes to Perl, and Yank comes out, claiming her. Smitty freely hands her over. All the men come back out, and start dancing. A fight break out, causing a fireman, Paddy go get stabbed. The first Mate comes out, reveals Paddy will live and busts up the party. Everyone leaves but Smitty, who listens to the singing.

Bound East for Cardiff

The Glencairn is traveling from New York to Cardiff, and is caught in thick fog. The seamen change shifts, and check on Yank, who is sleeping, but near death after a steep fall. The men reminisce about Yank, complain about life at sea, and blame the officers for being useless. After Driscoll and Yank talk about his health and their time together, Yank dies.

Long Voyage Home

At a sleazy bar near the dock, Ivan, Cocky, Driscoll, and Olson come to celebrate finishing their latest assignment coming to an end. Olson has decided not to drink, so he won't waste his cash and can go home to Sweden and start a farm. Fat Joe, the owner of the bar, and Nick, his "crimp" gets the other three sailors drunk and in another room to dance. Freda, a girl from the bar, flirts with Olson, claiming she's Swedish as well. Driscoll and Cocky leave to take the passed out Ivan to rest. Alone, Olson is drugged by Freda and Joe. Nick takes his money, and takes him to be sold to a notorious captain about to embark on a dangerous mission. Cocky and Driscoll soon return, and believe Olson has just run off with Freda.

Themes

Sea Life

O'Neill commonly writes about the sea in his plays. In the Glencairn plays, the sea is both a romanticized life and harsh reality. Characters often complain about how poorly they are treated and paid, and how unfit the life is for a civilized man (See Bound East for Cardiff and Long Voyage Home in particular).

Class

Class plays multiple roles throughout these four plays.

Smitty (the Duke, according to Yank) is clearly higher class than the others, and while Yank respects him for it, the other men become suspicious of him in Long Voyage Home for not fitting in.

Furthermore, the Captain and Mate, who are of higher rank, are depicted as fools, and are hated by the seamen for their incompetence. O'Neill revisits the theme of the workers as the source of power in The Hairy Ape.

Also, there is the divide between firemen and seamen in Moon of the Caribbees. The two groups are at odds with one another in drinking, women, and job pride. This rivalry explodes with a fight that causes a fireman to get injured.

Realism

The S.S. Glencairn plays show O'Neill's early interest in realism. The set descriptions in each play are very elaborate, and establish the settings, including the cramped forecastle, which great detail and accuracy. Furthermore, O'Neill established dialect the many nationalities shown in the plays. The plots present a picture of sea life, a common theme in O'Neill's work. The situations are simple, and the characters are complex and vivid.

Criticism and Response

Although some critics felt the plays were insignificant and dated, the overall reaction to SS Glencairn was positive. The following summaries of reviews are taken from Eugene O'Neill and the American Critic by Jordan Miller, Archon Books, 1973.

Pollock, Arthur: "some of O'Neill's best work, but in view of recent (O'Neill) plays . . . they now seem tame"

Nathan, George Jean: "An excellent evening's entertainment."

NY World: "Vivid pulsating drama"