From deep personal pain comes great literature and art. My own observations as I watched "A Long Day's Journey into Night" by Eugene O'Neill, currently playing at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, January 12 - February 23, 2013.
This is a heavy drama. The "Tyrone" family is a mess. At first, they try to pretend that "It's all good." That persistent cough and loss of appetite, "It's just a summer cold." Oh, and if you drink more than your dad thinks you should out of his whiskey bottle, just add a little water to bring the liquid back up to the mark, "He'll never notice. He'll be too sauced himself." And, mom drifting away, thumping around at night, and missing a few beats here and there? Well that's just due to loss of sleep because dad snores and Jamie snores and she's worried about Edmund's cough.
The Tyrone family is in denial at the beginning of the play. As the day progresses and the addictions become more apparent, so does the reality that they're trying to avoid.
To read more of my review, go to my writer's blog, Play off the Page, http://www.maryaalgaard.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-of-long-days-journey....
For tickets and showtimes, go to www.guthrietheater.org.
Go. Create. Inspire!
