The Great God Brown is a play by Eugene O'Neill, first staged on January 23, 1926 at the Greenwich Theatre."'Great God Brown' Opening Tonight", Daily News (New York), January 23, 1926, p.18 O'Neill began writing notes for the play in 1922 – "Play of masks – removable – the man who really is and the mask he wears before the world"Floyd, Virginia, ed. Eugene O'Neill at Work. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1981, p. 41. – and wrote the play between January and March 1925.O'Neill, Eugene. Complete Plays 1920–1931. Travis Bogard, ed. New York: Library of America, 1988, p. 1079. Noted for its use of masks Lewis, Allan (1965). American Plays & Playwrights of the Contemporary Theatre. Crown Publishing Group, the play was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1925-1926. The original Broadway production was directed by James Light.
Plot Dion Anthony and his friend William A. "Billy" Brown are sons of business partners. Both love Margaret, but she falls in love with Dion when he is presented behind a cruel and cynical mask, even though he is a sensitive artist. After the two men inherit the business, Dion retires to paint, but fails and eventually dies. Billy takes the mask and poses as Margaret's husband. By the time she finds out, the "real" Billy has faded away. Brown is accused of killing his "real" self, and only the unmasked prostitute Cybel is there to comfort him. Eventually Billy dies as well, and years later Margaret pledges her undying love to Dion's mask.
In other media E. E. Cummings' 1927 play, Him, features a parody of The Great God Brown. Act two, scene four of Cummings' play showcases two masked characters, Will and Bill, who exchange identities.
Awards and nominations 1972 Broadway revival Year Award Category Nominee Result 1973 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play Katherine Helmond Drama Desk Award Outstanding Performance John Glover and John McMartin Outstanding Director Harold Prince
References
External links
The Great God Brown via Project Gutenberg Australia