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A Man's World: A Play In Four Acts
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
116 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1915
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 23, 2021
Looking to curate a diverse list of novella/play reading options for students in my writing class, I made sure to include female novella authors (Edith Wharton’s well-known Edith Frome and Louisa May Alcott’s far less renowned Behind a Mask--check it out, it’s pretty darn good!). When it came to plays, however, I realized that to my memory I could not recall reading a single play by a female playwright besides the exemplary Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun--which I could not use since another teacher was already teaching it). Time to do some digging!
Rachel Crothers came up in my research, and it was hard to turn down something with a title like “A Man’s World,” particularly if I were looking to include a woman’s perspective.
So, this play follows our protagonist from the early 20th century, a female author, Frankie, who is so talented and successful that people have a difficult time believing that she can write what she does on her own (without a man’s help). She also has a young child in her care that is something of a mystery to her nosy but well-meaning friends. Is she just generously raising someone’s orphaned child … or is it a bit more salacious than that: i.e., is this child her own as a result of some sort of fling from her days of living in Paris?
In the process of uncovering the mystery, we get the sense for the disparity among men and women in this world, despite the notable independence that Frankie shows women could be capable of. In the end, the lesson of A Man’s World narrows in on a very specific type of male/female inequality. The point Crothers makes here is a solid one, yes, but I feel as if its narrow nature might distract a naive audience from other, bigger picture, lessons to be learned.
Overall, however, the play is capably made with strong and memorable characters and a driving conflict (including a twist). Perhaps I should not laud something that so brazenly reveals the corrupt nature of my own sex’s world … but I can’t help it if I’m entertained by it. It may be my world, by I am so often entranced by the women in it, and Crother is one of those here!
Rachel Crothers came up in my research, and it was hard to turn down something with a title like “A Man’s World,” particularly if I were looking to include a woman’s perspective.
So, this play follows our protagonist from the early 20th century, a female author, Frankie, who is so talented and successful that people have a difficult time believing that she can write what she does on her own (without a man’s help). She also has a young child in her care that is something of a mystery to her nosy but well-meaning friends. Is she just generously raising someone’s orphaned child … or is it a bit more salacious than that: i.e., is this child her own as a result of some sort of fling from her days of living in Paris?
In the process of uncovering the mystery, we get the sense for the disparity among men and women in this world, despite the notable independence that Frankie shows women could be capable of. In the end, the lesson of A Man’s World narrows in on a very specific type of male/female inequality. The point Crothers makes here is a solid one, yes, but I feel as if its narrow nature might distract a naive audience from other, bigger picture, lessons to be learned.
Overall, however, the play is capably made with strong and memorable characters and a driving conflict (including a twist). Perhaps I should not laud something that so brazenly reveals the corrupt nature of my own sex’s world … but I can’t help it if I’m entertained by it. It may be my world, by I am so often entranced by the women in it, and Crother is one of those here!
March 11, 2023
Lo leí por una asignatura de la universidad, así que no tenía muchas expectativas. Sin embargo, me ha sorprendido gratamente si tenemos en cuenta los valores que tenían la socidad de la época. Definitivamente se ha colado en mis obras de teatro favoritas.
September 2, 2022
What a revolutionary play for it's time! Performed in 1909, this is a must read for theatre lovers.
October 25, 2015
"I love you forever! Nothing on earth could make me stop loving you!"
"But I, I have a terrible secret! You can't possibly love me!"
"Oh tell me I promise I love you always!"
"Do you swear? (Tells horrible secret) let's be together forever!"
"Oh no I can't possibly!"
"But you promised! (Bonus points if other character is male and hypocritical)"
"Nope! Bye Felicia!"
I do get tired with such a common theme in turn of the century playwriting.
"But I, I have a terrible secret! You can't possibly love me!"
"Oh tell me I promise I love you always!"
"Do you swear? (Tells horrible secret) let's be together forever!"
"Oh no I can't possibly!"
"But you promised! (Bonus points if other character is male and hypocritical)"
"Nope! Bye Felicia!"
I do get tired with such a common theme in turn of the century playwriting.
July 19, 2023
Segunda vez que me lo leo porque me ha quedado la asignatura en la que me lo mandaron, pero es muy bueno, le he sacado más jugo a la segunda, el problema es que esta vez miraba a Malcolm con otros ojos. Cristina apruébeme.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2012
Humorous, clever writing. Splendid.
Read
September 6, 2018okay.... this went deeper than I thought it would..
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews