The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail
Encyclopedia
The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail is a two-act play
by Robert Edwin Lee
and Jerome Lawrence
written in 1970. The play is based on the early life of the titular character, Henry David Thoreau
, leading up to his night spent in a jail in Concord, Massachusetts
. Thoreau was jailed for refusing to pay a poll tax
on the grounds that the money might be used to pay for the Mexican-American War, which he opposed.
Writing in the New York Times, Howard Taubman described the ideological relevance of the play to contemporary audiences, stating "this play and its protagonist, though they are of the 19th century, are speaking to today's concerns: an unwanted war in another land, civil disobedience, the interdependence of man and nature, education the role of government and the governed."
, in his old age, recalling the memories of his friend, Henry. The play quickly shifts to Henry's current time in jail because he refused to pay the tax to support the war, where he meets Bailey, a homeless man falsely accused of arson
. After meeting Bailey, Thoreau reflects on his recent past.
Henry, who would have graduated from Harvard, but refused to pay the one dollar fee to receive his diploma, becomes a schoolmaster
and attempts to teach a class against the school's curriculum, but Deacon Ball, a logical, respected teacher, makes him flog the children, after which he quits. After leaving the school, Henry and John (Henry's brother) start an outdoor school, but soon all of the children are pulled out of classes by concerned parents. Ellen, the sibling of one of the former classmates, went to the school to find out more about Transcendentalism
, which her father claimed the school was based on. After the school is disbanded and the children leave, Henry takes her on a boat ride. He tells her about Transcendentalism
, and about how he loves her, but it becomes very awkward and he tells her to go to church with John. John is in love with Ellen, and proposes to her, but later Ellen tells him that her father wouldn't allow her to marry either of the Thoreau brothers.
Soon after, John dies from blood poisoning caused by a shaving cut, and Henry tries to cope with the loss.
: Henry is the main person of the play. The play is based on his early life. He is a somewhat radical Transcendentalist and refuses to pay a tax, due to his opposition to the Mexican-American War. His unorthodox beliefs are not very well accepted by the city of Concord.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
: Emerson (referred to in the script as Waldo) appears, for most of the play, middle-aged. At this time, Emerson has already become famous and is a very recognizable feature. He and Henry become good friends, despite a few differences of opinion.
Lydian Emerson : Lydian is the wife of Waldo. There is some attraction between her and Henry, but nothing results of it due to their mutual respect for her husband.
Deacon Ball : Deacon Ball is a respected and stern teacher, who believes strongly in corporal punishment and believes Thoreau should do so, which Thoreau refuses.
John Thoreau : John is Henry's older brother, who shares many of the beliefs of Henry. He falls in love with Ellen, but then dies from blood poisoning soon after Ellen admits she does not love him.
Ellen Sewell : Ellen is the brief object of affection of both John and Henry, but is unable to marry John because of her father's disapproval of Transcendentalism.
Bailey : Thoreau's cellmate when he is locked up in the Concord jail. Thoreau teaches Bailey how to write his name and inspires Bailey to live a full life after he is released from prison.
Edward Emerson
: Ralph Waldo Emerson's son, who becomes friends with Thoreau when the Emerson's hire Thoreau as a handyman.
Mother Thoreau : Thoreau's mother, who has to deal with Thoreau and his backward-thinking mind. Throughout the novel, she is displeased with Thoreau's insistence on nonconformity.
Sam Staples : A man who works for the government in Corcord. Is the man who takes Thoreau to prison, but offers to pay his taxes for him.
Henry Williams: Williams is a runaway slave on his way to Canada. He is killed in his effort to make it to the border. His death has a profound effect on Thoreau, indicating the underlying motivations behind Thoreau's civil disobedience.
, opening on April 21, 1970 and directed by Dr. Roy Bowen. It received its professional debut at the Arena Stage
in Washington, D.C. on October 23, 1970. The play gained widespread popularity when it was written, with over 75 productions in its first year. It was the fourth most frequently-produced full-length play in the a survey of college productions in the 1970-1971 season, with 243 performances in 36 productions. It retained its prominence in the following season, ranking fifth in the same survey, with 158 performances in 27 productions.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Robert Edwin Lee
Robert Edwin Lee
Robert Edwin Lee was an American playwright and lyricist. With his writing partner, Jerome Lawrence, Lee worked for Armed Forces Radio during World War II; Lawrence and Lee became the most prolific writing partnership in radio, with such long-running series as Favorite Story among others.-Life and...
and Jerome Lawrence
Jerome Lawrence
Jerome Lawrence was an American playwright and author.-Life and career:Lawrence was born Jerome Lawrence Schwartz in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Sarah , a poet, and Samuel Schwartz, a printer. He worked for several small newspapers as a reporter/editor before moving into radio as a writer for CBS....
written in 1970. The play is based on the early life of the titular character, Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
, leading up to his night spent in a jail in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. Thoreau was jailed for refusing to pay a poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
on the grounds that the money might be used to pay for the Mexican-American War, which he opposed.
Writing in the New York Times, Howard Taubman described the ideological relevance of the play to contemporary audiences, stating "this play and its protagonist, though they are of the 19th century, are speaking to today's concerns: an unwanted war in another land, civil disobedience, the interdependence of man and nature, education the role of government and the governed."
Plot
The play does not present events in chronological order; rather, the play features Thoreau remembering earlier parts of his life, not necessarily in the order they occurred. The play opens with Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
, in his old age, recalling the memories of his friend, Henry. The play quickly shifts to Henry's current time in jail because he refused to pay the tax to support the war, where he meets Bailey, a homeless man falsely accused of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. After meeting Bailey, Thoreau reflects on his recent past.
Henry, who would have graduated from Harvard, but refused to pay the one dollar fee to receive his diploma, becomes a schoolmaster
Schoolmaster
A schoolmaster, or simply master, once referred to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British public schools, but is generally obsolete elsewhere.The teacher in charge of a school is the headmaster...
and attempts to teach a class against the school's curriculum, but Deacon Ball, a logical, respected teacher, makes him flog the children, after which he quits. After leaving the school, Henry and John (Henry's brother) start an outdoor school, but soon all of the children are pulled out of classes by concerned parents. Ellen, the sibling of one of the former classmates, went to the school to find out more about Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the New England region of the United States as a protest against the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian...
, which her father claimed the school was based on. After the school is disbanded and the children leave, Henry takes her on a boat ride. He tells her about Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the New England region of the United States as a protest against the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian...
, and about how he loves her, but it becomes very awkward and he tells her to go to church with John. John is in love with Ellen, and proposes to her, but later Ellen tells him that her father wouldn't allow her to marry either of the Thoreau brothers.
Soon after, John dies from blood poisoning caused by a shaving cut, and Henry tries to cope with the loss.
Characters
Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
: Henry is the main person of the play. The play is based on his early life. He is a somewhat radical Transcendentalist and refuses to pay a tax, due to his opposition to the Mexican-American War. His unorthodox beliefs are not very well accepted by the city of Concord.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
: Emerson (referred to in the script as Waldo) appears, for most of the play, middle-aged. At this time, Emerson has already become famous and is a very recognizable feature. He and Henry become good friends, despite a few differences of opinion.
Lydian Emerson : Lydian is the wife of Waldo. There is some attraction between her and Henry, but nothing results of it due to their mutual respect for her husband.
Deacon Ball : Deacon Ball is a respected and stern teacher, who believes strongly in corporal punishment and believes Thoreau should do so, which Thoreau refuses.
John Thoreau : John is Henry's older brother, who shares many of the beliefs of Henry. He falls in love with Ellen, but then dies from blood poisoning soon after Ellen admits she does not love him.
Ellen Sewell : Ellen is the brief object of affection of both John and Henry, but is unable to marry John because of her father's disapproval of Transcendentalism.
Bailey : Thoreau's cellmate when he is locked up in the Concord jail. Thoreau teaches Bailey how to write his name and inspires Bailey to live a full life after he is released from prison.
Edward Emerson
Edward Waldo Emerson
Edward Waldo Emerson was a United States physician, writer and lecturer.-Biography:Emerson was born in Concord, Massachusetts. He was a son of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Lydian Jackson Emerson, and educated at Harvard, where he was graduated in 1866...
: Ralph Waldo Emerson's son, who becomes friends with Thoreau when the Emerson's hire Thoreau as a handyman.
Mother Thoreau : Thoreau's mother, who has to deal with Thoreau and his backward-thinking mind. Throughout the novel, she is displeased with Thoreau's insistence on nonconformity.
Sam Staples : A man who works for the government in Corcord. Is the man who takes Thoreau to prison, but offers to pay his taxes for him.
Henry Williams: Williams is a runaway slave on his way to Canada. He is killed in his effort to make it to the border. His death has a profound effect on Thoreau, indicating the underlying motivations behind Thoreau's civil disobedience.
Production history
The play was first produced at the Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, opening on April 21, 1970 and directed by Dr. Roy Bowen. It received its professional debut at the Arena Stage
Arena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest Washington, D.C. Its declared mission"is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics...
in Washington, D.C. on October 23, 1970. The play gained widespread popularity when it was written, with over 75 productions in its first year. It was the fourth most frequently-produced full-length play in the a survey of college productions in the 1970-1971 season, with 243 performances in 36 productions. It retained its prominence in the following season, ranking fifth in the same survey, with 158 performances in 27 productions.
Further reading
- Jopson, John CharlesJohn JopsonJohn Charles Jopson is a film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer best known for the jazz film “One Night with Blue Note” and his music videos from the 1980s.- Biography :...
(1997) "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail: Director's Note"