Title: Suzanna and the Elders
First published: 1940
Description: Just as Pursuit of Happiness dealt with "bundling" amongst our forefathers, so Suzanna and the Elders deals with plural marriage and selective breeding in certain communities in America during the latter part of the 19th century. But Suzanna and the Elders is not a play about these quaint customs, solely. If you can picture an imaginary character of the type of Shaw, who has attempted to found a socialistic community in New England in which all goods are owned in common, and in which the primary evil is possessiveness, not only of property but of people, you will have a rough idea of what the play is about. The play attempts to show that the old Adam in human beings will always ultimately prevent men from being regimented, even though the dictator has only the highest motives, as was the case with our character, John Kent. Our attempt to treat this subject lightly is deliberate; not because we do not appreciate the importance of the subject, but because we feel that what we have to say can be better appreciated through this medium then by a solemn treatise on the subject, which by the way is available to anyone who will take the trouble to do the necessary research. - Jacket flap.
Subjects: Eugenics, Drama, Christian communities, History, Oneida Community