The Emperor Jones (Thrift Editions)

Brutus Jones | a former Pullman car porter wanted in the United States on two murder charges | has established himself as the self-proclaimed ruler of a West Indian island. Warned that his subjects are about to rebel | he flees to the jungle — sick with fright — where he is plagued by ghosts of the men he has murdered and haunted by visions of injustices done to his race. Powerful scenes | punctuated by beating tom-toms | suggest Jones's panic as he flees his angry countrymen and his own personal demons.First produced in 1920 | The Emperor Jones helped establish O'Neill's reputation as one of America's most important dramatists. Bold and expressionistic | the play was an instant success on the stage and has remained one of the staples of the dramatic repertoire. It is now available to a wide audience in this attractive | inexpensive Dover Thrift Edition.