Historical Context
The Great Depression
Throughout the tumultuous 1930s, the United States found itself ensnared in the grips of the Great Depression, a relentless economic downturn that was the darkest in American history. Countless banks crumbled, their closures wiping out the savings of ordinary people. Unemployment rates soared from a mere under four percent in 1929, when the depression reared its head, to a staggering peak in 1933, with a quarter of the nation left jobless. As the decade waned, a glimmer of economic respite emerged for many families, yet true recovery eluded the nation until the U.S. entered the throes of World War II in 1941.
Popular Culture in the 1930s
Amidst these bleak times, Americans turned to the silver screen, seeking solace in the captivating world of cinema. The era's most iconic film, Gone With the Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's beloved novel, swept audiences away. Comedies and musicals brought laughter and light, though some filmmakers chose to confront societal issues head-on. Sullivan’s Travels offered a poignant portrayal of life on the road as a hobo, while Mr. Deeds Goes to Town took a critical look at the opulence of the affluent.
In literature, the 1930s heralded a new wave of realism, capturing the grit and struggles of the time. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath vividly depicted the arduous journey of migrant farmworkers seeking a promised land in California. Meanwhile, Richard Wright’s Native Son delved into the harsh realities faced by a young African-American man in an unforgiving, prejudiced world.
The theater scene of the 1930s evolved significantly as the decade progressed. Initially, the stage spotlighted the nation's labor and class tensions, with plays such as Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes condemning the avarice of the upper class. Yet by the late 1930s, productions like Thornton Wilder’s Our Town celebrated enduring American values, resonating deeply with audiences.
World War II
The winds of war swept across Europe in 1939. Adolf Hitler, having already brought Austria and Czechoslovakia into the fold of the Third Reich, declared the annexation of Danzig on September 1, 1939, a Polish port city with a significant German populace. Simultaneously, Germany unleashed a full-scale invasion of Poland, with troops and tanks surging across the land as the skies rained bombs. This act of aggression shattered the 1938 agreement with Great Britain and France, which promised no further territorial claims. Within two days, Britain and France declared war on Germany, yet their military response was nonexistent, leading to Poland's surrender on September 17.
In the west, France and Britain braced themselves for conflict, though the lack of immediate action led the media to dub it a "phony war." This illusion was dispelled on April 9, 1940, when Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, swiftly overtaking them and maintaining control until the war's end in 1945. Hitler's ambitions then turned westward, conquering the Low Countries with alarming speed. By June 1940, France had succumbed, leaving Britain alone to confront the Nazi threat.
U.S. Involvement in World War II
In the 1930s, the United States steadfastly clung to its vow of neutrality in global conflicts. While some recognized the Nazi threat to civilization itself, the prevailing sentiment was to remain disengaged from Europe's turmoil. Nevertheless, in 1939, the U.S. amended the Neutrality Act, permitting American companies to sell arms to Great Britain. The fall of France heightened American empathy toward Britain, prompting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to transfer fifty antiquated naval destroyers to Britain in 1940. In a historic move, Congress enacted the country's first peacetime draft law. By early 1941, the U.S. was providing Britain with war materials...
(This entire section contains 638 words.)
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on credit, and by autumn, American naval forces found themselves in an undeclared skirmish with German submarines. The attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, an ally of Germany and Italy, on December 7, 1941, propelled the United States into the war, joining the Allies in their struggle.
Style and Technique
Ending
The conclusion of The Last Night of Ballyhoo shimmers with ambiguity, leaving us pondering the significance of the family’s Sabbath dinner. Does this gathering signify a beautifully imagined future in Sunny’s mind, or has this future already unfurled into reality? The brevity of the scene defies any definitive answers. Yet, regardless of whether it springs from fantasy or reality, it illuminates a path forward for Sunny, hinting at her budding curiosity about Judaism. With Joe by her side, Sunny aspires to guide her family in rediscovering their rich religious and cultural roots.
Comedy
The Last Night of Ballyhoo weaves a tapestry of humor, as characters indulge in sharp-witted exchanges and clever quips. When Lala makes her entrance draped in a hoop skirt reminiscent of Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind, Adolph dubs her "Scarlett O’Goldberg" with a wink. He spins a yarn for Sunny on why he never wed, claiming he had fallen for a girl glimpsed daily on the streetcar, the "love of his life" because, as he amusingly points out, "I never saw her for more than twenty minutes at a time, and I had no dealings with her whatsoever." The residents of this world conjure comedic images of misfortune; Boo predicts Lala’s fate, should she fail to wed, as living amidst a sea of eighty-five cats and facing arrest for sprinting down the street wearing only a wrapper. Reba advises against Lala’s date with Ferdie Nachman, quipping that "his father picked his nose during his own wedding ceremony." Among the collection of non sequiturs, Reba’s assertion that higher education might lead to madness stands out, particularly when she recounts the tale of Viola Feigenbaum, the "least hideous" among seven sisters, who went on to teacher training only to strip naked and run amok on a train.
Setting
Nestled in the heart of 1939 Atlanta, the setting of the play serves as a poignant backdrop, steeped in the prejudices of the South. The 1930s and ensuing decades were marked by glaring racial segregation, with African Americans enduring societal barriers in schools, restaurants, transit, and communities, leading parallel lives to their white counterparts. Though Jewish southerners faced less severe exclusion, they too encountered institutional barriers, such as those imposed by the Venetian Club. Uhry’s choice to situate the narrative in the South gently nudges the audience to reflect on the region’s entrenched history of discrimination, where even within ethnic groups, prejudice can find fertile ground.
Compare and Contrast
1930s: Amidst the stormy skies of pre-war tension, over 100,000 German Jews sought refuge on American soil between 1933 and 1939. Yet, countless others found the doors firmly shut due to the rigid quota laws, sealing their fates in the horror of Nazi concentration camps.
Today: Spanning the years 1991 to 1998, 54,900 Germans embraced new beginnings in the United States. During this era, a further 371,658 souls found safe haven as permanent residents, welcomed under the prevailing refugee legislation.
1930s: As 1939 unfolded, Europe was engulfed in the flames of World War II. The United States, meanwhile, held its stance of neutrality, yet extended a lifeline of military supplies to Great Britain.
Today: In the pivotal year of 2001, following a devastating terrorist onslaught, the United States embarked on a campaign against terrorism. In October, the U.S. initiated a series of bombing raids targeting terrorist camps and military sites in Afghanistan, identified as the harbor for those behind the attacks. NATO stood in solidarity, lending its support to this endeavor.
1930s: The cinematic masterpiece Gone with the Wind of 1939 dazzled audiences with its technicolor splendor, reigning supreme for years as the monarch of box office successes.
Today: The 1997 cinematic marvel, Titanic, sailed into the hearts of millions, amassing over $600 million and securing its place atop the all-time box office chart.
1930s: Americans found joy in the flickering images of the silver screen, the enchanting voices of radio, the soul-stirring chords of music, and the pages of literature. Clark Gable, the dashing star of Gone with the Wind, captured countless hearts.
Today: Beyond cinemas and the pull of television, Americans dive into the digital seas of the World Wide Web for entertainment. Here, they download tunes and films, weave connections through email, make purchases, peruse digital magazines, and embark on myriad other adventures.
Bibliography
Sources
Evans, Greg, ‘‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo,’’ in Variety, Vol. 366, No. 5, March 3, 1997, p. 77.
Horwitz, Tony, ‘‘Georgia: Gone with the Window,’’ in Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War, Pantheon Books, 1998.
———, ‘‘Mississippi: The MiniéBall Pregnancy,’’ in Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War, Pantheon Books, 1998.
———, ‘‘Tennessee: At the Foote of the Master,’’ in Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War, Pantheon Books, 1998.
Kanfer, Stefan, ‘‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo,’’ in New Leader, Vol. 80, No. 4, March 10, 1997, p. 22.
Mattimoe, Edward J., ‘‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo,’’ in America, Vol. 176, No. 10, March 29, 1997, p. 24.
Richards, Gary, ‘‘Scripting Scarlett O’Goldberg: Margaret Mitchell, Tennessee Williams, and the Production of Southern Jewishness in The Last Night of Ballyhoo,’’ in Southern Quarterly, Vol. 39, No. 4, Summer 2001, pp. 5–16.
Shewey, Don, ‘‘Ballyhoo and Daisy, Too: Between the Lines with Alfred Uhry and Dana Ivey,’’ in American Theatre, Vol. 14, No. 4, April 1997, p. 24.
Uhry, Alfred, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Theater Communications Group, 1997.
Zoglin, Richard, ‘‘The Last Night of Ballyhoo,’’ in Time, Vol. 149, No. 11, March 17, 1997, p. 68.
Further Reading
Arad, Gulie Ne’eman, America, Its Jews, and the Rise of Nazism, Indiana University Press, 2000. Israeli historian Arad discusses American Jewry and their lack of significant reaction to the Nazi crisis in Europe.
Freedman, Samuel, Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry, Touchstone, 2000. Freedman explores how relationships among American Jews have changed in the latter half of the twentieth century and offers suggestions on how American Jews can unite.
Hayward, Dave, ‘‘Ballyhoo and Brotherly Love: Alfred Uhry’s Olympic Premiere,’’ in Back State, Vol. 37, No. 34, August 23, 1996, p. 39. Hayward and Uhry discuss the genesis of The Last Night of Ballyhoo.
Sterritt, David, ‘‘A Voice for Themes Other Entertainers Have Left Behind,’’ in Christian Science Monitor, July 29, 1996. Uhry talks about the family in The Last Night of Ballyhoo, their prejudices, and his own interest in exploring his religion in his writing.
Witchel, Alex, ‘‘Remembering Prejudice, of a Different Sort,’’ in New York Times, February 23, 1997, sec. 2, p. H5. Witchel explores class divisions among Jews as depicted in The Last Night of Ballyhoo.
