They Knew What They Wanted -- by Sidney Howard (1925)

Description
Sidney Howard's They Knew What They Wanted has been revived three times on Broadway, but not since the mid-70s. Playbill.com provides this synopsis of the play: "An aging Italian vineyard owner in California proposes to a waitress via letter, sending her a picture of his handsome hired hand. Romantic and emotional complications ensue when she agrees to marry and live with the Italian in Sidney Howard's Pulitzer Prize-winning play."

 It is that simple. Amy falls in love with Joe, thinking Joe is Tony. When Amy realizes Joe is not Tony, tensions rise and Amy starts to make painful, yet liberating decisions for her future. 

Candid Reactions

  • I love how detailed their set descriptions are. I am curious about the evolution of directors' notes in plays after I've read all of these plays. How do the notes reflect general  philosophical changes or individual stylings? 
  • Howard is pointed: "He is one of those . . ." (93). 
  • Father McKee helps build tension throughout the play. 
  • Tony's attitude is revealed in several ways. Howard doesn't rely too heavily on just a few aspects of his characters. 
  • Ah, the callback of the title. So nice to see you :)
  • These racial slurs are so uncomfortable to read. 
  • How many times will Howard write "Awkward" in the stage notes?
  • Amy's interrogation at the end of Act One reminds me of Effie White's series of questions before her big moment in Dreamgirls. 
  • Okay, I hate to be that guy, but how does Tony understand everything that is going on? Like, he just broke his leg in three places, and yet he is totally aware of the situation? How is he not just wiped out? 
  • Tony declares, "I'm the most unhappy fella in the world" (106). The title to the 1956 musical adaption must have derived from this line (The Most Happy Fella). 
  • Amy's confession for why she married is difficult to accept at first. 
  • These acts end perfectly. 
  • Amy's indictment of the men is funny: "Here they are reforming the world and they don't even know what day of the week it is" (116). 
  • I wasn't really seeing the ending going like that . . .  


Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. Pro-Female Rights
It is important to remember that this play was written in 1925. I was honestly shocked when Joe adamantly supported gender equality in the play. Amy makes decisions for her own benefit in the play -- while there might be some pressures placed on Amy, she ultimately responds to her own desires.

 2. Male Roles Reconsidered
Howard not only empowers women in the play, but he also calls into question the role of men in women's lives and in general society. Howard does not provide a didactic statement, but tangential conversation-starters.    

Classroom Implications
Hmmmmm. I do not know what to think with this one. The amount of racial epithets are disturbing and would certainly need addressed. I could see students enjoy watching the plot unfold. Plenty a socratic seminar could occur with the content of the play. It could perhaps be paired with Their Eyes Were Watching God or Little Women.

Personal Takeaway
Just because a story has a simple plot does not mean that a story is boring.

Ranking

Dialogue
Characters
Plot/Conflict
Symbol/Literary Devices
Overall Enjoyment
TOTAL SCORE






7.0
0
Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character
Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity
Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping
Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story
Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1
Not consistently realistic (1.5)
Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity (1.25)
Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points
Devices somewhat enhance story (1)
Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1.5)
2
Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters
Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity  
Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping! (1.75)
Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation
Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically  

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Rankings

9.75 -- Fences by August Wilson ( 1987 ) 9.5 -- The Subject Was Roses by Frank D. Gilroy (1965) 9.25 -- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (1955) 9.25 -- The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn (1978) 9.25  --   Long Day's Journey into Night  by Eugene O'Neill  (1957) 9.25 -- Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire (2007) 9.25 -- Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks ( 2002 ) 9.0 -- Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner (1993)   9.0  --  Anna Christie  by Eugene O'Neill  (1922) 9.0 -- Cost of Living by Martyna Majok ( 2018 ) 9.0 -- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1949) 9.0 -- Doubt by John Patrick Shanley (2005) 9.0 --  The Flick by Annie Baker (2014) 9.0 -- 'night, Mother by Marsha Norman (1983) 9.0 -- Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes ( 2012 ) 8 .75 --  Beyond the Horizon by Eugene O'Neill (1920) 8.75 -- How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel ( 1998 ) 8.75 -- ...
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