Terrence McNally's early plays reflect a unique confluence of avant-garde theater influences and the anxieties of the Cold War era. Known for his sharp wit, McNally critiques societal norms with a mix of absurdity and biting satire. His works from this period explore themes of family dysfunction and individual alienation, culminating in a blend of humor and existential despair.

And Things That Go Bump in the Night

McNally's first major play, And Things That Go Bump in the Night, typifies his early thematic preoccupations with a portrayal of a bizarre family living in a basement, estranged from society. The play channels elements of absurdism in the vein of Samuel Beckett and Arthur Kopit, delivering a scathing critique of modern values distorted by societal pressures. In this chaotic narrative, Clarence, the only "normal" character, becomes collateral damage in the sadistic games orchestrated by the domineering Ruby and her children, Sigfrid and Lakme. Their mockery of family members, such as the grandfather headed for an asylum, underscores a chilling decay of love into mere carnal perversion, care into indifference, and respect into mockery. Critics, albeit hostile, acknowledged McNally's embrace of black comedy, even as his technique—marked by non-sequiturs and eclectic references—invited perplexity.

Next

Among McNally's one-act plays, Next stands out as a satirical take on the Vietnam War's impact on American values. The play humorously follows Marion Cheever, a middle-aged theater manager mistakenly drafted into the army, as he undergoes a humiliating induction examination. Despite his efforts to evade enlistment, Cheever's ordeal highlights the impersonal and dehumanizing nature of bureaucratic processes. His monologue, a parody of his military examination, becomes a scathing critique of societal standards and their often absurd enforcement.

Bringing It All Back Home

In Bringing It All Back Home, McNally revisits the theme of a dysfunctional family—this time grappling with the death of a son in Vietnam. The play captures the family's inability to mourn, as the son's death is treated with indifferent detachment. Through the sibling rivalry and parental ineptitude, McNally paints a portrait of a family numbed by daily horrors. The arrival of a television crew, eager for a human interest story, only amplifies the family's shallow responses and underscores their moral vacuity.

Sweet Eros and Witness

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw McNally tackling societal complacency in works like Sweet Eros and Witness. In Sweet Eros, a man's abduction of a woman becomes a metaphor for society's silent complicity with evil, as her initial resistance gives way to docility. Witness similarly explores passivity, with a salesman bound by a would-be presidential assassin who seeks validation for his sanity. Both plays challenge audiences to confront their own roles in perpetuating indifference.

Bad Habits

McNally's one-act pair Ravenswood and Dunelawn, collectively known as Bad Habits, satirize contrasting approaches to treating asocial behavior. At Ravenswood, Dr. Pepper permits patients all manner of indulgence, while Dunelawn's Dr. Toynbee relies on drugs and restraints. Through these microcosms of authority, McNally critiques superficial solutions to deeper social issues, highlighting the inadequacies of both permissive and repressive systems.

Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone?

McNally's full-length play Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone? marks a departure from his one-act format, employing epic theater techniques reminiscent of Bertolt Brecht. Through episodic flashbacks, the play follows Tommy, an anarchist seeking to upend art institutions, as he navigates a world devoid of meaning. McNally weaves a complex narrative tapestry that blends humor with a critique of societal phoniness, embodied in Tommy's iconoclastic antics.

The Ritz

In the farcical The Ritz , McNally explores themes of mistaken identity and comedic chaos within...