Robert Anderson’s plays are deeply rooted in personal experience, often echoing his own life through their characters and themes. His works consistently explore the complexities of human relationships, focusing particularly on father-son dynamics and marital discord. Although his storytelling was autobiographical, Anderson often reflected influences from prominent playwrights, blending personal and literary inspirations to craft his narratives.

Autobiographical Influences

Robert Anderson’s plays are largely autobiographical, with the central character usually being a writer or a teacher who is misunderstood by his father or wife. For instance, in All Summer Long, the protagonist is twelve, and in Tea and Sympathy, almost eighteen. As Anderson aged, so did his characters. In Silent Night, Lonely Night, the protagonist is in his forties, while in The Days Between, the focal character splits into two middle-aged men. Anderson’s plays are reflections of different stages of life, with the characters’ struggles often mirroring his own personal experiences.

Themes and Relationships

Anderson’s themes are consistently centered on complex relationships. A recurring theme is the incompatibility between husbands and wives, particularly middle-aged couples who were once in love but now face unhappiness, often evident through a strained or absent sex life. Anderson also explores the importance of fulfilling sexual experiences, sometimes outside marriage, as a means of providing emotional healing. Another prominent theme is the difficult father-son relationship, characterized by a lack of understanding between a materialistic father and a more sensitive son. Guilt, hostility, and loneliness are inherent in these relationships, reflecting a failure to connect on deeper emotional levels.

Influences and Style

Despite personal themes, Anderson’s works are not known for innovation in plot or technique. Influenced by dramatists like Anton Chekhov, John Van Druten, and Tennessee Williams, he often adopted existing formats and styles. All Summer Long echoes Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard with its slow pace and themes of loss. Tea and Sympathy bears similarities to Van Druten’s Young Woodley. Similarly, I Never Sang for My Father reflects elements from Williams’s The Glass Menagerie. Nevertheless, Anderson was open to experimenting with varying techniques, ranging from realistic settings to illusionistic scenes.

Tea and Sympathy

There is a strong autobiographical strain in Tea and Sympathy, with its setting in a New England preparatory school reminiscent of Anderson’s own. The protagonist, Tom Lee, is artistically inclined, reflecting Anderson’s early passion for music. The play draws on literary influences such as Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire and Shaw’s Candida. A central theme is the exploration of a morally challenging relationship between Tom and the older Laura, who offers him a nurturing, albeit controversial, sexual experience. This daring narrative was significant in addressing homosexuality explicitly and questioning societal norms on sexuality.

I Never Sang for My Father

I Never Sang for My Father delves into the painful complexities of a father-son relationship. The autobiographical elements are pronounced, with Tom Garrison resembling Anderson’s own father. The play reflects the influence of Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, with its exploration of the protagonist’s struggle to break free from familial expectations. The narrative poignantly captures the unbridgeable gap between Gene Garrison and his father, illustrating the inevitable dependence of parents on their children and the burdensome guilt that follows unfulfilled familial roles.

You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running

This collection of one-act plays sees Anderson returning to a form he was familiar with during his Harvard years. Notably, The Footsteps of Doves and I’m Herbert revolve around marital sex lives as indicators of relationship health. The Shock of Recognition tackles theatrical issues through its characters, while I’ll Be Home for Christmas