Machinal (NHB Classic Plays): 0

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It was unfortunate that word was sent broadcast before the first performance of Machinal that its theme and characters grew out of the notorious Snyder-Gray murder case," wrote Perriton Maxwell, editor of Theatre Magazine. "The play bears no likeness to the sordid facts of that cheap tragedy … Machinal transcends the drab drama of the police court; it has a quality one finds it difficult to define, a beauty that cannot be conveyed in words, an aliveness and reality tinctured with poetic pathos which lift it to the realm of great art, greatly conceived and greatly presented." Calling Machinal "the most enthralling play of the year," Maxwell attributed the play's success to "three remarkable persons: Sophie Treadwell, Arthur Hopkins and Zita Johann." [6] character comedic one-act [2] set in a house London, England. The subject is listed as family and the characters are Madame de Vere, Charlie, and John Randolphe [5] A production directed by Risa Brainin was included in the 2000/2001 season by Missouri Repertory Theatre. Another 30 years passed before Machinal was again revived Off-Broadway, this time at the Public Theater in 1990. Michael Grief directed a cast led by Jodie Markell, John Seitz and William Fichtner. The production was well-recognized, winning three Obie Awards, including ones for Grief and Markell.

The play's first New York revival was Off-Broadway at the Gate Theatre in 1960. Gene Frankel directed, and the cast featured Delores Sutton, Vincent Gardenia and Gerald O'Loughlin. Treadwell had granted the show's producer, Richard Karp, the rights to the play, but with the proviso that he find "the right actress." In the end, Treadwell herself found the actress, spotting Sutton on a television program. Once again, Atkinson was on the scene, and approved of the result, calling it "one of Off-Broadway's most vivid productions." Kragen, Pam. “THEATER REVIEW: ‘Machinal’ a Fascinating Journey into Expressionism.” Sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 Sept. 2016, www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-theater-review-machinal-a-fascinating-journey-2010nov17-story.html. Through the use of various 'isms' these playwrights explored new and alternative ways of presenting women's lives in their plays. [3]

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In Britain, the play was first performed under the title The Life Machine in 1931. [7] Reception [ edit ] A Young Woman,” Helen, is a stenographer for the George H. Jones Company. She is perpetually late, she feels stifled, she is the sole financial supporter of her nagging mother, and there is not enough space or air in her world. The gears of the industrialized early-twentieth century economy affect the organization of time and place in her life, and though young and innocent, she is at her breaking point. To escape her financial strains, she marries her employer, George H. Jones, who admires her for her beautiful and well-kept hands. She does not love Jones, and finds him repellent. Her relationship to motherhood is both resentful and traumatic, and it is not until taking a lover, a tall, dangerous, and well-traveled man who also expresses his own desires to access personal freedom, that she establishes her agency and sense of self. The trajectory of action leads to a courtroom scene in which the young woman is tried for her husband’s murder, and she is sentenced to death by electrocution. The electric chair ends the action as sinister deus ex machina.

This is a play written in anger. In the dead wasteland of male society – it seems to ask – isn't it necessary for certain women, at least, to resort to murder?' - Nicholas Wright

Cite This Work

A production of Machinal was presented at Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA on September 27–30, 2018, directed by Lou Jacob, Baker Artist-in-Residence. [20]

In 1915, Treadwell moved to New York, [2] following her husband who had already made the cross-country move for his career. [3] In New York, Treadwell joined the Lucy Stone League of suffragists. [2] Treadwell participated in a 150-mile march with the League, which delivered a petition on women's suffrage to the legislature of New York. [1] Treadwell maintained a separate residence from her husband, an idea encouraged by the League. [1] Her marriage was said to be one of mutual independence and acceptance of differing interests. [1] Ran on Broadway December 1922-January 1923, [4] this 3-act drama is set in a mine and camp in Mexico and is loaded with subject matter of: violence, interracial romance (white and Hispanic), family, and intellectual matters. Occupations listed for this 20-character play include: journalist, miner, servant, homemaker, criminal, laborer, and musician. [5] Treadwell drew heavily from her recent interview with Pancho Villa for the content of this play. [1] titled The Life Machine in the London premiere, [3] premiered on Broadway September 1928-November 1928 and was revived on Broadway January 2014-March 2014. [4] The story of Machinal is told over 9 scenes by 29 identifies characters. [5] Six distinct settings appear in the play: office, house, hotel, hospital, bar, courtroom, prison, [5] The main character in the play is the 'young woman,' played in the 2014 Broadway production by Rebecca Hall. [4] None of the characters are named, but identified by their station or occupation. The story is loosely based on the murder trial of Ruth Snyder. This play has also been revived off Broadway and on television and is, by far, Treadwell's best known work. [3] A production of Machinal was translated and adapted in Filipino ("Makinal") by thesis students in the University of the Philippines Diliman, in April 2019.In episode eight, Helen is in the courtroom on trial for the murder of her husband, George H. Jones. The Lawyer for the Prosecution is prosecuting her on the charges of murder in the first degree. A production of Machinal was presented by the College of Saint Rose Theatre Company at the College of Saint Rose, in Albany, New York from April 4 to 7 of 2019. In contrast to George, Helen wants to live on her own terms, and so she rejects the tyranny of industrial or mechanical life. This is why she can’t stand to ride on the subway. “I had to get out!” she says, justifying why she’s late to work. When her colleagues ask, “Out where?” she says, “In the air!” She then clarifies, saying, “I thought I would faint! I had to get out in the air!” This response perfectly juxtaposes the mechanical world with the natural world—suffocation versus fresh “air”—and Helen speaks about riding the subway as if it’s a threat to her very life, framing it as something that deprives her of the most fundamental biological necessity: oxygen. Because this conversation occurs at the beginning of the play, Helen’s fear of the mechanical world may at first seem overdramatic, but considering that she’s later put to death by an electric chair—an ordinary piece of furniture repurposed and outfitted with fatal machinery—her concerns emerge as valid and even visionary. Machinal is an expressionist piece of theatre, and this element of the performance allows for a deeper and more contemporary message to be put forth. Expressionism a style of painting, music, or drama in which the artist or writer seeks to express emotional experience rather than impressions of the external world. Expressionism often contains features including, distortion, exaggeration and abnormality in line, shape, proportion and coloring. Anthropomorphism is also commonly used which is the projection of human qualities onto inanimate objects. Expressionism originated in Germany in the early 20th century and was a pivotal moment in the world of theatre. The style moved away from both the melodramatic and naturalistic acting styles prominent at the time, and required actors to embody objects and ideas. Expressionism allowed for a cultural transformation “in social consciousness and ethical commitment, as well as an artistic form and aesthetic philosophy, expressionism sought to revolutionize German society and renew its faith in humanity” (Kuhns 1). Rather than enjoying a piece of entertainment, expressionistic productions asked audiences to confront social problems, to see the world from a viewpoint different than their own and to begin to ask themselves difficult questions. Originally society responded negatively to expressionist theatre as it was very contemporary and dealt with concepts that made the audience feel uncomfortable. It can be said that the expressionistic form that Treadwell employs is the most vital component to Machinal’s success. The expressionistic style that is utilized as the dramatic structure of Machinal allowed her to use the Snyder murder trial non-specifically. Within Machinal Treadwell does not tell a biographical story of Ruth Snyder but rather a story of a Young Woman whose life resembles that of Ruth Snyder and whose society resembles our own. Treadwell employs various expressionistic techniques which will be discussed throughout this paper, including abandoning the traditional Act/Scene structure and having it be divided episodically, the identification of characters, the subjective point of view, speech patterns, the simplicity of props and the symbolic meaning of lights and sound. Through all of these expressionistic approaches that are employed, Treadwell is able to deliver a more complex and deep production highlighting the female oppression that was so prevalent at the time. a b Taylor, Paul; Williams, Holly (18 August 2019). "The 40 best plays of all time, from Our Country's Good to A Streetcar Named Desire". The Independent . Retrieved 18 October 2020.