The Greeks Had a Word for It
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| The Greeks Had a Word for It | |
|---|---|
 Still from the film adaptation | |
| Written by | Zoe Akins |
| Directed by | William Harris Jr. |
| Date premiered | September 25, 1930 |
| Place premiered | Sam H. Harris Theatre |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Episodes in the lives of three women |
| Genre | Comedy |
The Greeks Had a Word for It (also known as The Greeks Had a Name for It) is a 1930 play written by Zoe Akins. It is a three-act comedy that becomes farce only at the end.[1] It has a medium-sized cast, multiple settings, and pacing that reviewers said showed "indecision" and "sluggishness".[1][2] It is so episodic in nature that one critic called it three one-act plays joined together by leading characters.[3] It depicts the relationships of three ex-chorus girls with one another and with would-be paramours. The author never reveals what word she had in mind.[4]
Produced and staged by William Harris Jr., with settings by Livingstone Platt, it starred Muriel Kirkland, Verree Teasdale, and Dorothy Hall.[2] It ran on Broadway from September 1930 through May 1931. One reviewer criticized its moral quality even as he praised its writing and performance,[5] while another put it on his end of season "Best Plays" list.[6] The play was never published nor revived on Broadway, but was adapted for the film The Greeks Had a Word for Them in 1932. It was presented in the West End from November 1934 to May 1935 at the Duke of York's Theatre and then at the Cambridge Theatre starring Hermione Baddeley, Angela Baddeley, Margaret Rawlings and Robert Newton.
Lead
- Schatze is a woman of German-American heritage, practical and even-tempered, if a little slow.
- Jean is a blonde of Italian-American heritage, the most glamorous and aggressive of the trio.
- Polaire is 19, a red-haired woman from the American South, the most intelligent of the trio.
Supporting
- Louis Small is a Wall Street broker whom Schatze is playing house with.
- Dey Emery is a sincere but callow youth in love with Polaire, the only man Jean can't get.
- Boris Feldman is a Russian concert pianist, whom Polaire and Jean scrap over.
- Justin Emery is Dey's middle-aged father, a very wealthy banker.
Featured
- Waiter in Night Club
- Russian Woman
- Jones
- Stanton
- Waiter
- Bellows
There are also three French aviators, who are either walk-on or completely off-stage characters in the final scene.
Synopsis
Because the play was never published, this synopsis was compiled from contemporary newspaper reviews and articles.
Act I (Scene 1: A private backroom in a New York City nightclub) Schatze, Polaire, and Jean meet up after the latter's return from Paris. Polaire suggests Jean take up with Dey Emery, who has been plaguing her with his attentions. Louis Small and Dey Emery join the trio, introducing Boris Feldman who is with them.
(Scene 2: Boris Feldman's Apartment) Polaire, Jean, and Dey join Boris at his apartment. Boris is interested in Jean, who at first isn't. He bets her $5000 that she will be in love with him by the next morning. Meanwhile, an ignored Polaire has gone over to Boris' piano and begins playing. At once Boris forgets Jean and goes straight to Polaire. He likes her music and brags he can make her a concert sensation, but Polaire demurs. Now Jean wants Boris seeing Polaire's interest. Jean sneaks into Boris' bedroom and removes most of her clothes, letting the others think she had departed. Seeing Boris and Polaire are now clicking, Dey volunteers to leave. However, Polaire decides to leave too. Outside the apartment she stops to think things over, then turns back. But Boris, having decided to go to bed, doesn't answer the door, being now quite busy.
Act II The storyline here involved a stolen necklace.
Act III After proposing to Polaire, Dey Emery seeks his father Justin's approval. Justin gives it, but then steals Polaire away with his own proposal. Jean swoops in to capture the banker's attention. Jean and Justin become engaged and are at the Ambassador Hotel for the ceremony, when Polaire and Schatze sweep in to ply Jean with some drinks and their new-found friends, three French aviators. Soon Jean pulls off her wedding dress, throws a coat on, and abandons her groom to go to Paris with Polaire, Schatze and the fly-boys. (Curtain)