Before Breakfast

by Eugene O'Neill

Before Breakfast (in One-Act Play Collection 002 )


CHARACTERS— MRS. ROWLAND

SCENE—A small room serving both as kitchen and dining room in a flat on Christopher Street, New York City. In the rear, to the right, a door leading to the outer hallway. On the left of the doorway, a sink, and a two-burner gas stove. Over the stove, and extending to the left wall, a wooden closet for dishes, etc. On the left, two windows looking out on a fire escape where several potted plants are dying of neglect. Before the windows, a table covered with oilcloth. Two cane-bottomed chairs are placed by the table. Another stands against the wall to the right of door in rear. In the right wall, rear, a doorway leading into a bedroom. Farther forward, different articles of a man's and a woman's clothing are hung on pegs. A clothes line is strung from the left corner, rear, to the right wall, forward.

It is about eight-thirty in the morning of a fine, sunshiny day in the early fall.

Mrs. Rowland enters from the bedroom, yawning, her hands still busy putting the finishing touches on a slovenly toilet by sticking hairpins into her hair which is bunched up in a drab-colored mass on top of her round head. She is of medium height and inclined to a shapeless stoutness, accentuated by her formless blue dress, shabby and worn. Her face is characterless, with small, regular features and eyes of a nondescript blue. There is a pinched expression about her eyes and nose and her weak, spiteful mouth. She is in her early twenties but looks much older.

She comes to the middle of the room and yawns, stretching her arms to their full length. Her drowsy eyes stare about the room with the irritated look of one to whom a long sleep has not been a long rest. She goes wearily to the clothes hanging on the right and takes an apron from a hook. She ties it about her waist, giving vent to an exasperated "damn" when the k

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre, The United States Of America, Nobel Prize, American

MP3 CD

First published January 1, 1925

About the author

American playwright Eugene Gladstone O'Neill authored Mourning Becomes Electra in 1931 among his works; he won the Nobel Prize of 1936 for literature, and people awarded him his fourth Pulitzer Prize for Long Day's Journey into Night , produced in 1956.

He won his Nobel Prize "for the power, honesty and deep-felt emotions of his dramatic works, which embody an original concept of tragedy." More than any other dramatist, O'Neill introduced the dramatic realism that Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish playwright August Strindberg pioneered to Americans and first used true American vernacular in his speeches.

His plays involve characters, who, engaging in depraved behavior, inhabit the fringes of society, where they struggle to maintain their hopes and aspirations but ultimately slide into disillusionment and despair. O'Neill wrote Ah, Wilderness! , his only comedy: all his other plays involve some degree of tragedy and personal pessimism.

Reviews

[Nercs · Rating 2 out of 5]

توی کمتر از یک ساعت تموم شد و خودمونیم، خیلی هم ارزش خوندن نداشت.

[Hend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before Breakfast is a one-act play , Eugene focuses on Mrs. Rowland the wife and show her hard and unbearable life ,the opposition and conflicts which she is facing, and her disturbing emotions and feelings of bitterness,depression and sadness.this play dramatizing the tragic results of a marriage between a couple who are completely different and unsuitable to each other....
the husband Alfred is intentionally kept off,not speaking at all,but u concluded from his wife's words that he is having an affair ,and that she has known he was cheating on her,she threats him that he will never have a divorce,she wouldn't let him enjoys his life with another woman.....
the last scene show how much she deeply loved him......

[Nadin Doughem · Rating 3 out of 5]

إختلاط المشاعر بين الغيظ والشفقة! هذا ما يقودنا إليه يوجين أونيل في هذا العمل المسرحي القصير، فقد أخبر يوجين عن قصره: "اتعجب كم من الوقت يستطيع المشاهد/المستمع على تحمل المونولوج؟"

اللغز: السيدة رولاند، إمرأة متسلطة صعبة المراس. أم ضحية الحب؟
هو اللغز الدائم في حياتنا، هل الشرير -كم اعتدنا ان نقول في طفولتنا- في كل حكاية هو حقا شريرا أم ضحية؟!


قبل الإفطار، مونولوج مؤلم عن طبيعة مرأة، تلك الشرسة الهشة، تلك التي تعيش بداخلنا جميعا، تلك التي تجمع بين كل شئ وعكسه،

استمتعت للأداء المسرحي المترجم باللغة العربية وإخراج بهاء طاهر، وأداء الرائعة سميحة أيوب.

لقراءة النص المسرحي باللغة الإنجليزية تجده علي هذا الرابط:
http://www.eoneill.com/texts/bb/conte...

أستمتعت به رغم كل شئ

[Cloudy · Rating 3 out of 5]

| مثل گلوله می‌مونه که بهت می‌خوره، ازت می‌گذره و می‌ره. (مکث) بعد از اون‌جا درمی‌آیی و وارد همون دنیای آروم قدیمی می‌شی که یه روزی می‌شناختی...برای اینکه استراحت کنی... به نظرت می‌رسه تو یه گوری دفنت کرده‌ن، زیر هرمی که قبل از پیدا شدن ستاره‌ها سر به آسمون کشیده. اون دوره‌ی قدیمی مرده و تنها چیزی که هست سکوته؛ سکوت مثل شکنجه‌ی قدیمیِ چینی‌ها قطره قطره، یه‌نواخت می‌خوره تو مغزت... و تو فکر می‌کنی، باید فکر کنی به چیزایی که باید فراموششون کنی. |
از نمایشنامه‌ی چهارم: موجی

[وائل المنعم · Rating 3 out of 5]

مونودراما رائعة، لا أخفي إعجابي بهذا النوع من المسرحيات - مسرحية الأقوى لسترندبرج من أفضل ما قرأت من أعمال مسرحية. عبقرية أونيل تظهر بوضوح هنا عندما يجعل لشخصية لا تظهر ولا تتكلم بحرف هذا التأثير والحضور، حديث الزوجة وخطاب العشيقة وارتعاش اليد يلخصوا ببساطة أزمة فنان، أيضاً حب الزوجة لا يخفى على أحد رغم هجومها - المستحق - على زوجها.

[شروق عبدالغنى · Rating 2 out of 5]

اول تجربة مع الكتب المسموعة ..
مسرحية من فصل واحد ترجمة واخراج بهاء طاهر ..

ربنا يكفيك شر الست لما تشيل ف قلبها كتير :D
وربنا يكقينا شر الحب للشخص الغير المناسب على الاطلاق ..
ويستمر الصراع بين العقل والعاطفة..

[Fateme Beygi · Rating 3 out of 5]

یک مونولوگ تک پرده ای از زبان یک زن.
البته که من قوی تر استریندبرگ رو بیشتر می پسندم اما خب موضوعاتشون کمی متفاوتن و این جا توضیحات طولانی تری از گذشته نسبت به قوی تر وجود داره.

[عبدالرحمن حافظ · Rating 3 out of 5]

زوجة شربت كأس خمر ثم بدأت في لوم زوجها الذي لا يبحث عن عمل وهو كسول خامل
مسرحية من فصل واحد. حوار من طرف واحد
مفاجأة في انتظاركم
إذاعية ترجمة بهاء طاهر
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php...

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before Breakfast by Eugene O’Neill

This is an interesting play, with only one character…



At least only one talks, the other cries something, at one point.

There is only one act and the play is finished in about half an hour.

I am not sure if I empathize with the Mrs. Rowland who complaints all through this act, or with the husband that has to listen to this.

On a daily basis, I guess.

Since I am passing through my own desert and ordeal in marital relationship, I tend to fraternize with fellow men.

Up to a point.

After finishing this play, I have read that O’Neill was influenced by Strindberg.

So much so, that he paid a tribute, in his acceptance speech, after receiving the Nobel Prize for literature-

- “It was reading [Strindberg’s] plays . . . that first gave me the urge to write for the theatre myself. If there is anything of lasting worth in my work, it is due to that original impulse from him, which has continued as my inspiration down all the years since then.”

In terms of content, the play is rather good even if very short.

Actually, I better keep this note confined to a few lines; otherwise the description would be longer than the act.

Even if I enjoyed it, there are some mixed feelings since I tend to hear a number of the reproaches rather often.

And I have some of the shortcomings of Mr. Rowland, without his skill as a poet and probably other advantages.

About the idea of the play, Eugene O’Neill has said

- “I wonder how long an audience will stand for a monologue?”

It would take you half an hour, if you contemplate reading or listening to this play.

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting one act play. The dialog is one woman talking to her off stage, silent husband.

[بسام عبد العزيز · Rating 2 out of 5]

مونودراما نجد فيها زوجة تتحدث إلي زوجها بكل صراحة لأول مرة في حياتها الزوجية
الزوج هو الغائب الحاضر.. فالزوجة توجه إليه الحديث و هو في غرفته لا يخرج إلى الصالة حيث تدور أحداث المسرحية
المونولوج عبارة عن سرد لما عانته الزوجة طوال زواجها .. و لأنها مونودراما فبالقطع الزوجة ستجعل الزوج هو المخطئ وهو المسئول عن فشل الزواج ووصوله إلى نقطة اللاعودة بها الشكل
وفي المقابل لابد و ان تظهر الزوجة بمظهر الضحية التي عاشت بكل إخلاص
هذا أشعرني بنوع من التعصب في المسرحية للمرأة أو على الأقل عدم وجود توازن في المسرحية .. و بالتالي وجدتني لا أحبها

[laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super depressing. It is about a woman talking to her unseen (offstage) and silent husband about his drunkenness and other issues.

[Bina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short plays, specially the ones that are so easy to read and understand. It shows how the cold reality can destroy dreams and lives and that you can never expect everything to be perfect, and it’s so sad.

[محمد عبادة · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional portrayal of multiple disappointments criss-crossing in marital life. Vibrant theatrical directions and a violent monologue that leaves you pondering over every bit of this work of art.

[Hemu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems to be the feminine version of Look Back in Anger and carries similar frustration. Though it may seem like a rant but it beautifully describes failure of a marriage and dreams.

[Alia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romanian

[cande · Rating 3 out of 5]

interestin. we´ll work with it in literature class

[Elahe · Rating 2 out of 5]

اتودشو منتشر کردن گمونم!

[Hazal Gunduz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great play. Very short but very solid. Timeless.