Prompt Script for Long Day’s Journey Into Night , Abbey Theatre 1985

The Prompt Scripts for the 1985 Abbey Theatre Production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night, discovered during an archival research trip to the Abbey Theatre archive at the National University of Ireland, Galway, appear to solve the conundrum of this lambasted production. Despite the star-studded cast and director, the production was universally lampooned by contemporary critics, especially for a lack of attention to its Irish dimension, a curious phenomenon as noted by prominent O’Neill scholars such as Edward Shaughnessy. A thorough examination of the prompt scripts revealed that the production had cut significant portions of the play related to James Tyrone Sr.’s childhood experiences with poverty and eviction. This article argues that the removal of these sections and subsequent negative critical reception reveal that the core theme and emotional power of the play originate from these themes of land-based struggles.