O'NEILL DOUBLE-BILL AT MLA '78.

As is appropriate in the year that marks the ninetieth anniversary of his birth as well as the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death, the year that was also, according to his own instructions, to have seen the first appearance of his greatest play, Eugene O'Neill's presence will loom large at the 1978 MLA Convention in New York City after Christmas. The smaller of the two events devoted to the playwright, but one that will be of great influence on the future of O'Neill studies, will be a meeting of all persons interested in the formation of a EUGENE O'NEILL SOCIETY. Professors Horst Frenz, Virginia Floyd and Frederick Wilkins will make suggestions about the organization and by-laws for a society, and everyone interested is cordially invited, even urged, to attend. The meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, December 30, in Room 504 of the New York Hilton.

The earlier and initially larger event will be a SPECIAL SESSION, moderated by Virginia Floyd, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, December 29, in the New York Hilton's Grand Ballroom East. And it promises to be grand! MLA members have already seen the program in PMLA. The following abbreviated version is for the information of non-members, who may wish to register for the convention. The program, "A Consideration of the Late Plays: Long Day's Journey into Night and A Moon for the Misbegotten," is in three parts.

PART I: CRITICAL APPROACHES TO O'NEILL.

1. Travis Bogard, "From the Silence at Tao House."

2. Tom Olsson, "The World Premiere of Long Day's Journey."

3. John Henry Raleigh, "O'Neill's Climax: Memory as Phoenix.

PART II: THEATRICAL APPROACHES: REFLECTIONS OF O'NEILL'S INTERPRETERS.

1. Jose Quintero, "My Life-Work with Eugene O'Neill."

2. Jason Robards, "The Hell and Redemption of Jamie-Jim Tyrone."

3. Colleen Dewhurst, "Josie Hogan--the Redeeming Woman of O'Neill's Misbegotten."

4. Quintero, Robards and Dewhurst: discussion of the O'Neill renaissance and scenes from Moon for the Misbegotten.

5. Geraldine Fitzgerald, "Mary Tyrone--O'Neill s Quintessential Mother Figure."

6. Arvin Brown and Geraldine Fitzgerald: discussion of "The Light and Dark Side of O'Neill--A Journey from Wilderness to the Long Night," and scenes from Long Day's Journey.