Productions

Artist: Jaagup Roomet (guest)
Translated by Mati Soomre

Cast: Ülle Kaljuste, Ain Lutsepp, Tiit Sukk, Märt Avandi (guest), Pille Lukin (guest)

Long Day's Journey into Night undoubtedly represents the world classics of psychological drama. The great American playwright has painted a very subtle, deep, and delicate picture of deadlocked family relationships and people staggering under the burden of their illusions. Two middle-aged people who love each other but have grown apart, and their grown-up sons face a situation in which their former way of handling things - denying problems and self-delusion - no longer works. Although they all live under the same roof they cannot find a common language. Mary who has fallen into her lonely world and is on the verge of losing herself suffers from drug addiction while the men are being slowly destroyed by alcoholism.

Long Day's Journey into Night is largely based on the story of O'Neill's own family. A father reminiscing of his once famous career as an actor, a mother who is a drug addict, a brother who is an alcoholic, guilt, self-delusion, reverberations of former emotional traumas - these are O'Neill's autobiographical motifs and topics.

This play was Eugene O'Neill's (1888-1953) gift to his wife Carlotta on their 12th wedding anniversary. It was the author's wish that the play would not be published before 25 years after his death but his wife ignored that wish and Long Day's Journey into Night was published in 1956. In Estonia it was first staged in 1971 at the Estonian Drama Theatre featuring Aino Talvi and Kaarel Karm (directed by Mikk Mikiver). In 1984 it was staged at Theatre Ugala where Mary and James were played by Leila Säälik and Enn Kose (directed by Kaarin Raid); in 1994 the play was on stage again at the Estonian Drama Theatre with Ita Ever and Aarne Üksküla in the main roles (directed by Mikk Mikiver).

For this production the director commissioned a new translation by Mati Soomre.

Premiere on 14 June 2008 at Keila-Joa manor.