Winterset
Winterset is a verse play written by Maxwell Anderson in 1935. This modern tragedy focuses on the disruption caused by the execution of an innocent man. The story was inspired by the famed Sacco-Vanzetti case. The play achieved moderate success, running on Broadway for a total of one-hundred and ninety-five performances and receiving the first ever New York Drama Critics Circle Award.
History
Winterset was written in 1935 by Maxwell Anderson. The show opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre in September of the same year. It ran for a total of one-hundred and ninety-five performances. Jo Mielziner designed the original stage set. The show is still occasionally performed today.
Characters
Trock Judge Gaunt
Shadow Carr
Lucia Mio
Piny Herman
Miriamne A Sailor
Garth Policeman
Esdras Radical
1st girl Sergeant
2nd girl Urchins
The Hobo Two young men in serge
Setting
Under a bridge beside a rickety tenement and in the basement apartment of the tenement.
Plot Summary
Act I-
Trock and Shadows, members of a local gang enter. They discuss Trock’s recent doctor appointment at which he was diagnosed terminal with an expected six months to live. Trock is also concerned that he might be facing capitol punishment if certain information has been leaked. He and Shadow leave to investigate this as poverty stricken Piny, the apple seller, and Lucia, the street pianist, emerge from their makeshift shacks. They are afraid of the gang.
In the basement apartment of the tenement (seen from the outside in the previous scene) Garth tries to fix his broken violin. His sister Miriamne is concerned because he has been afraid to leave the house recently. Garth’s father Esdras enters from outside. Not a moment later Trock and Shadow enter without knocking. The two gangsters bully Miriamne and Esdras into a back room of the apartment. They speak to Garth, who used to be involved with the gang about an incident when the gang robbed a payroll and Trock killed a man. Another man, Romagna was wrongfully convicted and executed for the killing. Garth was never called to witness. Due to the recent mental unrest of the presiding judge, Gaunt, Trock is concerned that the case will resurface and wants to assure that Garth will not reveal any information. He assures Garth that he and his family will be under close watch until everything calms down. The thugs leave, guns in tow. Garth, Esdras and Miriamne discuss their situation. They decide that although it would be right to turn Trock over to the authorities, the consequences of such an action warrant their silence.
The stage, under the bridge is occupied with the first and second girls, street urchins and the hobo. Judge Gaunt enters looking for the house of Garth Esdras, he is obviously a little deranged. Mio, the son of the executed Romagna, enters with his friend Carr. He too is looking for Garth. Piny and Lucia enter. They are upset because for the first time the police have refused to allow them to vend and perform on the street. Lucia begins playing his piano and everyone starts to dance, including Miriamne. The police intervene and a ridcal starts a riot which is abruptly halted when the officer draws his gun. In the ensuing confusion Garth and Esdras bring Judge Gaunt into their apartment. Mio and Miriamne are left on stage they talk and start to fall in love. Miriamne discovers that Mio is Romagna’s son and asks him to leave not wanting to harm her brother or draw Trock’s attention to Mio. Trock and Shadow enter. Miriamne and Mio hide in the shadows. Trock has shadow killed and thrown into the river. Carr and Mio go investigate. Miriamne goes inside while they are off.
Act II-
In the basement apartment Esdras, Garth and Miriamne discuss what to do with Judge Gaunt. They decide not to tell him anything and escort him to safety the following day. Gaunt wakes and enters from back room. The Judge admits that he did not have enough evidence to convict Romagna. He asks Garth what he saw to which Garth replies nothing. Gaunt, satisfied with his discovery decides to leave, but before he can Mio enters, but not before Miriamne disappears to the back room. Mio introduces himself as the son of Romagna and questions Garth about the murder scene. Garth again denies having any information, but the family tries to comfort him. Mio and Gaunt discuss the trial each enraging the other. Esdras escorts Gaunt to the bus station to go home. Miriamne enters. She comforts Mio. They fall more and more in love with each moment. The hobo comes in to sleep under the pipes where it is warm. Esdras and Gaunt return followed by Trock. Shadow returns and tries to kill Trock, but dies in the back room. Mio discovers that Trock committed the murder his father died for. Mio holds a gun to him so that he doesn’t shoot anyone. The police come and recover the deranged judge Gaunt who has been playing as if he were in a court room through the entire scene. Mio tries to alert them to Shadow’s body and thus get Trock arrested, but because if Trock was arrested he would rat out Garth as an accomplice the family has hidden the body and the cops think Mio is fooling them. Trock follows the officers out and takes a snipers position at the top of the bridge.
Act III-
Gun men wait around various places under the bridge Mio and Miriamne emerge from the tenement. Mio is determined to leave and avenge his father’s death. Miriamne tries to convince him to stay. They explore their separate worlds and love for each other during the course of a long conversation while they wait for the gun men to leave. As some of the gun men dispers, Mio decides to leave the tenement. He is gunned and crawls back to Miriamne. Garth and Esdras enter as Miriamne decides to die with her love and takes the same path as he screaming that she will dispell all information. She is shot and crawls back to Mio to die.
Themes
Loyalty- The idea of loyalty is exhibited through the desire of everyone to remain loyal to their family, loved ones, gang, etc. When the interests of individual relationships are crossed loyalties are tested. This is seen in Miriamne’s despair in deciding weather to support her brother, Garth, or Mio. Also the idea of loyalties being dissolved is present in the gang’s interactions.
Love- Love is explored through Mio’s love for his father, the love shared by the Esdras family and Miriamne and Mio’s love. Unconditional love is prominent in all of these relationships for although one or more member of each relationship may upset or even endanger the other(s) with their actions the love still exists.
Justice- The play examines flaws within the justice system such as human error, and prejudice which can lead to the conviction of innocent people. It also raises the idea of taking justice into one’s own hands.
Poverty- Throughout the play poverty is discussed and exhibited. Each character relates to it in an individual manner providing the audience with an array of takes on the issue. These range from the incapability of the dim-witted hobo to understand his own poverty to Judge Gaunt who sneers at the Esdras’ apartment because it is too shabby for his liking.
Theatrical Devices
Verse- Winterset was Maxwell Anderson’s first verse play to be set in his present day. The script is composed in blank verse which seems to elevate the tragedy displayed in the action. It also serves as a medium of deep discussion. The verse allows philosophy to spill from the characters’ tongues without seeming intrusive.
Scale- The set is intended to be massive, dwarfing the actors. This increases the feeling that man is helpless, small and incapable of handling his own matters.
Criticism
Most critics found the play to be well worth seeing. The acting, scene design and content of the show was applauded. However, some critics such as Brooks Atkinson found the verse to be superfluous at times.
Importance
Winterset was the first play to receive the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. It was an important play for several reasons. The first being that it was one of very few successful verse plays of its time. The second being that it brought to life issues that many people were struggling with such as corrupt justice systems, prejudice, love and gang violence. All of these issues exist today and are discussed within the play in a way which makes the show relevant to our own times.
Sources
Anderson, Maxwell. Six Modern American Plays. Winterset. 1935. Random House United States.
Atkinson, Brooks. Justice and Fate, the Theme of “Winterset”. The New York Times. Sept. 26, 1935. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851- 2003). Pg 19.
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