THEATRE STUDIES Series of Occasional Publications

453 Pages·2007·36.82 MB·English

THEATRE STUDIES
Series of Occasional
Publications
Edited by
ALAN WOODS AND
NENA COUCH
Sidney Kingsley at work, 1930s. Courtesy of Sidney Kingsley.
S I D N EY K I N G S L E Y:
FIVE
P R I Z E W I N N I NG
PLAYS
With introductions by Sidney Kingsley
Edited by Nena Couch
Published for Theatre Studies by
Ohio State University Press
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS
COLUMBUS
Copyright © 1995 by the Ohio State University Press.
All rights reserved.
All of the plays in this volume are the sole property of the playwright (with the estate of Arthur
Koestler for Darkness at Noon) and are fully protected under the copyright laws of the United
States of America, the British Commonwealth, including Canada, and all other countries of the
Copyright Union. All rights, including professional and amateur performances, motion pic-
tures, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio or television broadcasting as well as cable, vid-
eocassettes, or any recording whatsoever, and the rights of translation into foreign languages
are strictly reserved. In their present form, these plays are dedicated to the reading public only.
Amateur rights to Men in White, amateur and stock rights to Darkness at Noon, and stock
rights to Detective Story and The Patriots are controlled by Samuel French, Inc., 45 West 25th
Street, New York, NY 10010. Stock rights to Men in White are controlled by Robert A. Freed-
man Dramatic Agency, Inc., 1501 Broadway, Suite 2310, New York, NY 10036. Amateur
rights to Dead End, The Patriots, and Detective Story are controlled by Dramatists Play Ser-
vice, Inc., 440 Park Avenue North, New York, NY 10016. Permissions for all other rights
whatsoever must be obtained in writing from the playwright, Sidney Kingsley, c/o The Drama-
tists Guild, Inc., 234 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kingsley, Sidney, 1906-1995.
Sidney Kingsley: five prizewinning plays, with introductions by
Sidney Kingsley / edited by Nena Couch.
p. cm.—(Theatre studies series of occasional publications)
"Published for Theatre studies by Ohio State University Press."
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8142-0742-1 (pbk.: alk. paper)
I. Couch, Nena. II. Theatre studies. III. Series.
PS3521.I55A6 1995
812'.52—dc20 95-10843
CIP
Text and jacket design by Bruce Gore.
Type set in Sabon by Graphic Composition, Inc., Athens, Georgia.
Printed by Bookcrafters, Inc., Chelsea, 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. «>
9 8 7 6 5 4 32
In Memoriam
SIDNEY K I N G S L EY
22 October 1906-20 March 1995
Sidney Kingsley's respect for life is reflected in his work—but this extended far
beyond human life. He possessed a great reverence for all life—on the land, in
the air, and in the sea. There are many instances, such as the time he rescued a
little fawn that was floating down the Ramapo River on a chunk of ice. He
waded out into the frigid water and carried the little animal to the warmth and
safety of his furnace room.
Sidney and Madge had many dogs—they were their family. For his final rest-
ing place with Madge, Sidney chose a beautiful area at the foot of a waterfall
near the bank of the Ramapo River, on the property he so dearly loved, with the
ashes of their dogs scattered in a circle around them.
— DORIS DAVIS
The following reminiscences of Mr. Kingsley were shared by friends and col-
leagues at a gathering in his memory held at the Flayers Club, New York City,
19 May 1995.
Sidney was part of that extraordinary group of playwrights who came into being
in the 30s and 40s, which heralded the arrival of the new American theatre and
the new American drama.. . . Sidney was not only an influence through his
plays, he was also kind and generous in helping young playwrights. •.. He ap-
plauded enthusiastically the success of each and every young playwright. And as
president of the Dramatists Guild, Sidney guided us through the most difficult
period of reorganization at the end of which we emerged as a separate and most
effective guild....
Sidney was a greatly gifted man, a witty man, a kind man, a good man. His
plays excited us to become playwrights, his presence at our meetings encouraged
us, and his leadership as president of the Dramatists Guild strengthened us. He
was an important part of all our lives.
— ROBERT ANDERSON
my first meeting with Sidney was at the Dakota. Eli [Wallach] and I had gone
to a Martha Graham concert and were invited to an after-theatre party being
given for her and her company of modern dancers. I knew of Sidney Kingsley,
successful Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Hollywood fame and Broadway's
plays Dead End and Detective Story. I didn't know that he was on the board of
the Martha Graham Dance Company, and that he was hosting the party. I was
very impressed with that cultural side of him. As the years went by, I came to
discover many more intriguing and different sides to him—his interests in archi-
tecture, painting, and sculpture—but his support of Martha and her modern
dance company was the most surprising and endearing to me.
— ANNE JACKSON
I was Sidney's stage manager for Lunatics and Lovers.... It was a great experi-
ence for me. Sidney Kingsley was a hero to me. After working with him while
he was writing the play, we began rehearsals.... Sidney started to direct—he
was very fast, knew exactly what he wanted—but as he directed, I was second-
guessing him. ... I said, "That's not the way to do it, that's not the thing to say
to the actor, why should he do that?" And as I'm saying this underneath my
breath, my assistant hands me a piece of paper. On it is something in code which
says, "1 PP, 2 DCCA, 5007H, SMYOFB." So I said, "What the hell is that?" He
said, "One Pulitzer Prize, two Drama Critics Circle Awards, five out of seven
hits, so mind your own f * * * * * *g business!"
— SAMUEL (BIFF) LIFF
Sidney Kingsley was a landmark playwright, and every playwright who followed
is indebted to him, for he created the technique of "going behind the scenes"
not only of hospitals and detective squad rooms but of our national and per-
sonal lives.
— JEROME LAWRENCE
After Madge [Evans] died, Sidney was occupied day and night with the work on
the estate, and I had suggested to him that some accountants or lawyers could
find a way [to] save some taxes and save part of the estate, and I said I would be
willing to help in any way that I could. But Sidney looked at me and said, "But
Jack, you don't understand, I believe in the system."
Later, I thought about that little incident, and it seemed to me a reflection of
Sidney's life and his work.... He was a revolutionary writer and it was Thomas
Paine, Jefferson, and Madison that inspired him in his ideas and in his work....
His real contribution, which we will turn to over and over again, is his belief
that up to this point the best system, or the best potential, for the realization of
the dreams of man lie in the origins of this country.
— JACK GARFEIN
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction by Nena Couch xi
Note on the Editing xliii
Men in White 1
Dead End 75
The Patriots 167
Detective Story 239
Darkness at Noon 331

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THE PERSON who is owed the greatest thanks for making this publication
possible is, of course, Sidney Kingsley, for his outstanding plays. I would
also like to thank him for his generosity in inviting me into his home to work
with his collection of materials documenting his remarkable career in the
American theatre. His longtime secretary, Maureen Lake, who worked with
Mr. Kingsley on his autobiography, has been an invaluable resource to me.
In particular I thank Doris Davis, Mr. Kingsley's friend of many years who
brought me into this project, for her ongoing help and support in all phases
of the work. Her interest, energy, and commitment were vital to this publi-
cation—it would not have happened without her. I am grateful for the per-
sonal support and encouragement I have received from Peter and Alexander
Coccia, for advice from colleagues Alan Woods and Phil Thompson, and for
administrative and institutional support from the Department of Theatre
and the Libraries of The Ohio State University.
My introduction to this volume is just the opening statement on Mr.
Kingsley's contributions to the theatre. It is hoped that this collection of his
plays will encourage others to examine his works both as they are situated
in the history of American theatre and as a part of the fabric of twentieth-
century American life.
IX