Monte Cristo Cottage
Encyclopedia
Monte Cristo Cottage, also known as Eugene O'Neill Summer House, was the summer home of acclaimed American actor James O'Neill
, and of his family, notably his son (with his wife Ella O'Neill
), Nobel prize
-winning American playwright, Eugene O'Neill
.
In June 1884, the O'Neill family came to New London, Connecticut
. James purchased two plots of land on Pequot Avenue for his wife Ella's 27th birthday.
As a child, Eugene spent his winters traveling with his actor father, but spent his summers at this cottage in New London, Connecticut
. The cottage was named for the play in which his father starred for many years. O'Neill probably wrote his first two plays here and it is the setting of his plays Ah, Wilderness!
and Long Day's Journey into Night
. Long Day's Journey into Night particularly reflects members of his own family in the home: characters are unfulfilled, resentful, often emotionally harmful toward one another.
in 1971.
The house is owned and operated by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
as a historic house museum. Furnished to appear as it might have for the setting of Long Day's Journey into Night, the house also features exhibits about O'Neill's life and works, as well as artifacts and memorabilia.
James O'Neill (actor)
James O'Neill was an actor and the father of the American playwright Eugene O'Neill....
, and of his family, notably his son (with his wife Ella O'Neill
Ella O'Neill
Ella O'Neill was the mother of playwright Eugene O'Neill and wife of actor James O'Neill....
), Nobel prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
-winning American playwright, Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
.
History
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
. James purchased two plots of land on Pequot Avenue for his wife Ella's 27th birthday.
As a child, Eugene spent his winters traveling with his actor father, but spent his summers at this cottage in New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
. The cottage was named for the play in which his father starred for many years. O'Neill probably wrote his first two plays here and it is the setting of his plays Ah, Wilderness!
Ah, Wilderness!
Ah, Wilderness! is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 2 October 1933.-Plot summary:...
and Long Day's Journey into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Long Day's Journey Into Night is a 1956 drama in four acts written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play is widely considered to be his masterwork...
. Long Day's Journey into Night particularly reflects members of his own family in the home: characters are unfulfilled, resentful, often emotionally harmful toward one another.
Modern history
The house was declared a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1971.
The house is owned and operated by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
The Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut is a 501 not-for-profit theater company founded in 1964 by George C. White. The O'Neill is the recipient of the . The O'Neill is home to the National Theater Institute , and several major theater conferences including the...
as a historic house museum. Furnished to appear as it might have for the setting of Long Day's Journey into Night, the house also features exhibits about O'Neill's life and works, as well as artifacts and memorabilia.
External links
- Monte Cristo Cottage - official site at the O'Neill Theater