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Review of


The Emperor Jones



Backstage Theater at College of Southern Nevada

Big Tropical Moon

Comments by Actor / Writer Roy C Peterson



The scenery and mood were very realistic to me. I sat in the front row with nobody blocking me. I felt like somebody spying from the bushes. The bright yellow light conveyed a true feeling of blazing tropical sun. The drumming was very atmospheric. The moon was big, exotic, and tropical. The period feel was good except that one pistol I noticed was too modern. The stage action was bold and the players had good volume and diction. I especially liked the trilling feminine screams of the High Priestess.

O'neill's basic theme has been used in many movies since he wrote the play. A greedy man from the outside modern world with a little advanced technology in the form of a gadget or two ruling and exploiting people of a primitive culture by making them think he is much more than he really is. A very tenuous and suspenseful situation to be in.

Jones should have left the island the minute he knew the natives had become aware of his non viability as a leader. He assumed that just because they would believe the superstition that he could be killed only by silver bullets that they would also lack the resourcefulness and will to get silver bullets and kill him. He was very foolish in this. I was surprised by the ending because I thought that Jones would first die of heart failure because of the way the islanders were scaring him.





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