A Touch of the Poet

A Touch of the Poet is a play by Eugene O'Neill.

It and its sequel, More Stately Mansions, were intended to be part of a nine-play cycle entitled A Tale of Possessors Self-Dispossessed. Set in the dining room of Melody's Tavern, located in a village a few miles from Boston, it centers on Major Cornelius ("Con") Melody, a braggart, social climber, and victim of the American class system in 1828 Massachusetts.

The play has been produced on Broadway four times. The original production, directed by Harold Clurman, opened on October 2, 1958 at the Helen Hayes Theatre, where it ran for 284 performances. The cast included Helen Hayes, Eric Portman, Betty Field, and Kim Stanley. Both the play and Stanley earned Tony Award nominations.

The first revival, directed by Jack Sydow, played in repertory with The Imaginary Invalid and Tonight at 8:30 at the ANTA Playhouse in 1967.

Ten years later, the second revival, directed by José Quintero, opened on December 28, 1977, again at the Helen Hayes Theatre, where it ran for 141 performances. The cast included Geraldine Fitzgerald, Milo O'Shea, Kathryn Walker, and Jason Robards, who was Tony-nominated for Best Actor in Play.

After 32 previews, the third revival, directed by Doug Hughes, opened on December 8, 2005 at Studio 54, where it ran for 50 performances. Gabriel Byrne and Emily Bergl headed the cast.

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