The Project Gutenberg EBook of The First Man, by Eugene O'Neill

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Title: The First Man

Author: Eugene O'Neill

Posting Date: June 4, 2009 [EBook #4026]
Release Date: March, 2003
First Posted: October 12, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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"THE FIRST MAN"

A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS

BY

EUGENE O'NEILL

CHARACTERS

CURTIS JAYSON
MARTHA, his wife
JOHN JAYSON, his father, a banker
JOHN, JR., his brother
RICHARD, his brother
ESTHEE (MRS. MARK SHEFFIELD), his sister
LILY, his sister
MRS. DAVIDSON, his father's aunt
MARK SHEFFIELD, a lawyer
EMILY, JOHN JR.'S wife
RICHARD BIGELOW
A MAID
A TRAINED NURSE

TIME--The Present

SCENES

ACT I

Living-room in the house of CURTIS JAYSON, Bridgetown, Conn.--an
afternoon in early Fall.

ACT II

CURTIS' study--morning of the following day.

ACT III

The same--three o'clock in the morning of a day in early spring of the
next year.

ACT IV

Same as Act I--three days later.

ACT I

SCENE--Living-room of CURTIS JAYSON'S house in Bridgetown, Conn. A
large, comfortable room. On the left, an arm-chair, a big open
fireplace, a writing desk with chair in far left corner. On this side
there is also a door leading into CURTIS' study. In the rear, center, a
double doorway opening on the hall and the entryway. Bookcases are
built into the wall on both sides of this doorway. In the far right
corner, a grand piano. Three large windows looking out on the lawn, and
another arm-chair, front, are on this right side of the room. Opposite
the fireplace is a couch, facing front. Opposite the windows on the
right is a long table with magazines, reading lamp, etc. Four chairs
are grouped about the table. The walls and ceiling are in a French gray
color. A great rug covers most of the hardwood floor.

It is around four o'clock of a fine afternoon in early fall.

As the curtain rises, MARTHA, CURTIS and BIGELOW are discovered. MARTHA
is a healthy, f