Alison's House

by Susan Glaspell

The action of the play takes place December 31, 1899, at the end of the old century just before the dawn of the new. The story concerns the family of Alison Stanhope, a famous American poet who had died eighteen years before, and whose home is about to be sold. Rich in tradition and filled with memories, Alison's house is the scene where the family gathers once more, this time to take its last farewell and to share in the distribution of her books and other precious belongings which have been preserved by her old sister, Agatha. Agatha's age is the chief cause of the house being sold, for the devoted old lady refuses to leave. The house being so far out in the country it is impossible for anyone to remain with her and she cannot be allowed to live there alone. As the old century is about to pass on, she whom the author symbolizes as the old life, passes on with it, leaving a secret which she has guarded carefully ail the years since Alison's death. This secret, which to some members of the family comes as a revelation is to others merely a confirmation. It throws a new light on the life of the poet and reveals her as a truly great soul.

Alison's House, which was loosely based on Emily Dickinson, was first produced in 1930 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1931.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Historical Fiction, Grad School, Classics, Theatre, Fiction

158 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1930

About the author

Susan Keating Glaspell (July 1, 1876 – July 27, 1948) was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actress, director, novelist, biographer and poet. She was a founding member of the Provincetown Players, one of the most important collaboratives in the development of modern drama in the United States. She also served in the Works Progress Administration as Midwest Bureau Director of the Federal Theater Project.
Her novels and plays are committed to developing deep, sympathetic characters, to understanding 'life' in its complexity. Though realism was the medium of her fiction, she was also greatly interested in philosophy and religion. Many of her characters make principled stands.
As part of the Provincetown Players, she arranged for the first ever reading of a play by Eugene O'Neill.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is an overlooked gem of a play, which won Glaspell the Pulitzer for drama in 1930. In fact, Glaspell was the first woman to win a Pulitzer. A family gathers to spend the last night in the home once belonging to Aunt Agatha, and Aunt Alison, who became a famous poet after her death. The Alison character is a sort of surrogate for Emily Dickinson. The family wrestles over each member's memory of Alison and her legacy of manuscripts bound in paper and thread. In a moving conclusion, long-buried secrets come to light. Glaspell's gift is dialogue and pace, and they are beautifully displayed here. How sad that this playwright is forgotten these days!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loosely inspired by Emily Dickinson, Alison’s House tells the story of a deceased poet and her family’s role in shaping her historic image. The play, which won a Pulitzer Prize, has some nice moments and an interesting conflict between the poet as a person and the poet as a cultural figure. Recommended.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long running time for today's standards. The plot interesting and scandalous for the era, but tediously drawn out without a whole lot happening. Trifles, in my opinion, is still her best and worthy of standing the test of time.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.davenportlibrary.com/genea...

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up after it was mentioned as one of the few then-contemporary plays Eva Le Gallienne produced at the Civic Repertory in the biography I'm reading and I realized that all I'd ever read by Susan Glaspell was "Trifles."

Very quiet and predictable (and INCREDIBLY CONCERNED about infidelity--very much of another time) and lacking in the flashes of brilliant feminist insight that make "Trifles" great. It is entirely unsurprising (but still disappointing) that a play based on Emily Dickinson has conveniently killed off the Susan character and given Alison a hopeless romance with a dude instead.

It does, however, have some pretty great lines. "Sometimes I think if I didn't have to do anything for a while--I could do something" is basically how I feel all the time.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly good drama about writing, legacy, family, and love. (so like, every drama ever) Everyone says it's about Emily Dickinson but it's not, really. It would be better if it actually were. Also, for a pulitzer prize winner, it's so hard to find! (archive.org has a copy tho)

[Anna Muthalaly · Rating 2 out of 5]

God bless a competent writer. In comparison to her contemporaries, glaspell writes with a modernity and vim I was truly glad to see. I was also impressed with the timelessness of her theme — the public’s ownership of the artist looms even larger today.

Ultimately fairly boring but, at least not wildly racist or repetitive or bogged down in melodrama and screwy dialect. Also obviously, go women! Finally!

This was the 15th play I read in my quest to read everything awarded the Pulitzer for drama.