Eugene O'Neill

<p> Eugene O'Neill wrote his plays for a theatre in which the playwright would take a central position. He presented himself as a controlling personality both in the texts--in the form of ample stage directions--and in performances based on these texts. His plays address several audiences--reader spectator and production team--and scripts were often different from the published versions. This study examines O'Neill's multiple roles as a writer for many audiences.</p><p> After a description of O'Neill's working conditions and the multiple audiences of the plays this study examines the various formal aspects of the plays: titles settings in time and place names and addresses language and connections and allusions to other works. An examination of the plays follows with particular emphasis on <I>Bound East for Cardiff Long Day's Journey Into Night</I> and <I>A Touch of the Poet.</I></p>