Eugene O’Neill Theater Center

The O'Neill in particular is full of ghosts. There's a rumor, possibly unfounded, that the ashes of the late New Yorker critic Edith Oliver were scattered underneath the venue that bears her name, an outdoor stage that sits in the shade of a monstrous, ancient, and beautiful New England tree.

Revisiting the rise-and-fall of theatre during its off-season in New York City, Brian Hashimoto reflects on the historical relevance, uniqueness, and creativity fostered at the Eugene O’Neill Memorial Theatre Center.

The O’Neill is a space for the playwright to explore the boundaries of his/her piece (play, musical, song, puppet). The success of a piece doesn’t always have the end result of “being produced.” Instead, the success comes from the writer gaining additional knowledge they need to continue the journey of their play—Kurt Van Raden, Stage Manager at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center.

The O’Neill’s motto is “Risk, Fail, Risk Again” for goodness sake. Puppeteers at all levels, novice to advanced, are able to grow within themselves while focusing on strengthening their work. And, as word has spread about the magic of the O’Neill, the mystique of the O’Neill in puppetry circles has died down, and our family has grown. To this I say, "hell yeah".

"Guys, before you go: keep working hard. Be nice to everyone. Keep up the playwriting you started doing here. Handwritten thank you and/or apology notes. Find people who inspire you and make yourself useful to them. Buy gold and invest in Apple now."

Anne G. Morgan sheds insight on the history and impact of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center on the theatrical community.