Alan Woo

616 Pages·2006·51.16 MB·English

The SELECTED PLAYS of

I

mm
I
EDITED B
Alan Woo
COLLECTED HERE FOR THE FIRST
time are the major plays of award-winning
authors Jerome Lawrence and Robert E.
Lee. This edition represents the only
attempt to date to explore the range and
nature of the team's collaboration. With
introductions to each of the eight works—
Inherit the Wind, Auntie Mame, The Gangs
All Here, Only in America, A Call on Kuprin,
Diamond Orchid, The Night Thoreau Spent in
Jail, and First Monday in October—editor
Alan Woods places the plays in their critical
and historical contexts.
The collaboration of Jerome Lawrence
and Robert E. Lee lasted for more than
half a century. Their plays reflect the
changing nature of the American theatre
during that period, from a New York-
centered commercial industry to decentral­
ized, nonprofit regional theatres spread
across the country.
Although they are known primarily as
successful commercial writers, Lawrence
and Lee have always shared a passionate
commitment to larger social issues. Their
plays were written not just to entertain a
broad audience but to present some
"problem" ideas—for example, the evolu­
tion versus creationism debate in Inherit
the Wind, perhaps their most famous
collaboration.
While some of the plays collected here
have become classics of the American
stage, others remain obscure. In his intro­
ductions, Woods explores the factors that
contributed to the success or failure of each

The Selected Plays of

JEROME LAWRENCE and ROBERT E. LEE
Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Photo copyright by Stathis Orphanos.
THE SELECTED PLAYS OF

EROME

EDITED BY
Alan Woods
FOREWORD BY
Norman Cousins
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Columbus
Copyright © 1995 by the Ohio State University Press.

All rights reserved.

Publication, stock, and repertory rights for the works of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee,
unless otherwise indicated below, are controlled by the Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency, Inc.,
1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.
Inherit the Wind Copyright © 1951 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, as an unpublished
work. Copyright © 1955 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Copyright renewed 1979, 1983 by
Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc.
AuntieMame Copyright© 1957 by Jerome Lawrence and RobertE. Lee. Copyright renewed 1985
by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.
The Gang's AH Here Copyright © 1960 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Copyright re­
newed 1988 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.
Only in America Copyright © 1960 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Copyright renewed
1988 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.
A Call on Kuprin Copyright © 1962 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Copyright renewed
1990 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.
Diamond Orchid Copyright © 1967, as Sparks Fly Upward, by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E.
Lee.
The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail Copyright © 1970 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Re­
printed by permission of Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.
First Monday in October Copyright © 1979 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.
See p. 579 for further rights information.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lawrence, Jerome. 1915—
[Selections]
Selected plays of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee / edited by
Alan Woods,
p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-8142-0646-8 (alk. paper)

I. Lee, Robert Edwin, 1918-1994. II. Woods, Alan. 1942­
III. Title.
PS3523.A934A6 1995
812'. 54—dc20 94-15894
CIP
Text and jacket design by Donna Hartwick.

Type set in Caslon 540 by Huron Valley Graphics, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Printed by Cushing-Malloy, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the

Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library

Resources. (?q)

9 8 7 6 5 4 32
CONTENTS

Foreword vii

General Introduction ix

Inherit the Wind 1

Auntie Mame 71

The Gangs Ml Here 167

Only in America 239

A Call on Kuprin 303

Diamond Orchid 369

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail A41

First Monday in October 507

Chronology 571