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Twenty below : being a drama of the road
It’s twenty below zero outside and a random group of vagabonds find themselves seeking shelter from the weather in a small town jail. Glad to be inside on such a cold night the group settles down to go to sleep when it is discovered that one of them is not whom they at first seem to be. This is the plot of this 1926 play by Jim Tully and Robert Nichols. Also included in this eBook is Jim Tully’s short story "Thieves and Vagabonds" on which the play was based.
93 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1927
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January 8, 2015
I found a biography of Beatrix Lehmann recently that listed Blazes from Twenty below as one of the favourite roles she played. I had found out very little about the play so decided to see if I could find a copy. This was the most expensive of her plays I've bought, but it was a gorgeous copy, printed in 1927 and in perfect condition. I found the play fascinating (and a tiny bit confusing at the end). It was like a proto-beat play. These were the bums who were "on the road" before Kerouac made it cool. I could see Neal's dad as one of the characters. It was kinda terrifying to see them amongst themselves, joking each other and then have them all turn in to would-be-rapists when a woman shows up. It really highlighted the danger and pointed out the gender difference in that lifestyle.
Blazes arrives disguised as a boy, having seen the men a few weeks ago they named her after her favourite curse word. Though as soon as they realise she's a woman they are fighting over who gets to rape her. Which is pretty frightening. Blazes throughout it all fights them off and makes fun of them, she's clearly a woman whose developed a very good sense of survival. She says how men are always "pawing" at her but that she's still a virgin. She talks the lead guy into looking after her and remains safe for the night, though it ends up costing him his life.
I thought it was interesting that a woman who'd grown up with an American mother in a very rich house in the countryside of England so admired the homeless american girl who had to live as a boy. But then considering this was Beatrix probably isn't that surprising after all. Like Close Quarters this was a play that as I was reading I saw the characters acting out as if they were real, like I do when reading a novel, instead of seeing them on a stage. I'm really glad I found a copy.
Blazes arrives disguised as a boy, having seen the men a few weeks ago they named her after her favourite curse word. Though as soon as they realise she's a woman they are fighting over who gets to rape her. Which is pretty frightening. Blazes throughout it all fights them off and makes fun of them, she's clearly a woman whose developed a very good sense of survival. She says how men are always "pawing" at her but that she's still a virgin. She talks the lead guy into looking after her and remains safe for the night, though it ends up costing him his life.
I thought it was interesting that a woman who'd grown up with an American mother in a very rich house in the countryside of England so admired the homeless american girl who had to live as a boy. But then considering this was Beatrix probably isn't that surprising after all. Like Close Quarters this was a play that as I was reading I saw the characters acting out as if they were real, like I do when reading a novel, instead of seeing them on a stage. I'm really glad I found a copy.
Displaying 1 of 1 review