The First Man

The First Man is a play by Eugene O'Neill, one of the most influential American dramatists of the twentieth century. It was first performed in 1922, the same year as his The Hairy Ape. The play sits within a body of work that reflects O'Neill's dedication to realistic drama.

O'Neill, who was born in 1888 and died in 1953, is credited with bringing the realism of Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg to the American stage. He was also the first to write dialogue in authentic American vernacular. His plays usually follow people on the margins of society, who chase hopes and ambitions but tend to end in disillusionment and despair. Apart from Ah, Wilderness!, his only comedy, most of his plays carry a sense of tragedy and personal pessimism. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Beyond the Horizon, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936.