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Days to Come

Days to Come is a 1936 stage play by Lillian Hellman. It depicts the tragic consequences of strike-breaking in a fictional town in the American Midwest during the Great Depression.

Days to Come
Written by	Lillian Hellman
Characters	Andrew Rodman Julie Rodman Cora Rodman Henry Ellicott Sam Wilkie Leo Whalen Thomas Firth Mossie Dowel Joe Easter Hannah Lucy
Original language	English
Subject	Strikebreaking
Genre	Drama
Setting	the American Midwest, 1930's

Synopsis

Act One

The action begins in the living room of the Rodman home. Lucy and Hannah tidy up in preparation for the day. Hannah asks Lucy to share some of her wages with the young men of the town, revealing that the town's factory workers, who were employed by the Rodmans in their brush-making factory, are engaged in a long-running strike. Cora arrives, and nitpicks over minute details of the house, earning contempt from Hannah. Shortly thereafter, Henry Ellicott arrives at the Rodman home to inquire after Julie Rodman. When Cora deflects his inquiries, he makes a phone call to discuss the arrival of Wilkie and his strikebreakers. While he is on the phone, Andrew Rodman arrives in the living room. When he overhears Ellicott's conversation, his hesitation in hiring strikebreakers becomes apparent. Cora berates Andrew for having taken so long in deciding to break the strike and insensitively implies that Andrew is a less effective businessman than their father had been. Before she can continue, Julie Rodman arrives from a long walk through the town. She is visibly upset by the alienation of the townspeople towards the Rodmans that has resulted from the strike. Andrew, Hannah and Lucy exit in preparation for the arrival of Wilkie. Cora lingers, but leaves when Ellicott is blatantly rude to her. When they are left alone, Ellicott asks Julie about her newfound habit of taking long walks through the town. In the course of the conversation, it becomes apparent that Ellicott and Julie have had a significant affair over the past few years, but that Julie has been pulling away from him. Ellicott is upset by this and grabs Julie by the arm just in time for Tom Firth and Mr. Whalen to arrive at the door and catch a glimpse of their intimate conversation. Firth requests access to Andrew, and Julie invites them both in for dinner. Julie calls for Lucy and sends her to bring back Andrew. Whalen obviously attempts to increase the tension between Ellicott and Firth, though Firth seems only to want to speak with Andrew. Julie politely asks Whalen about his experiences so far in the town, and his appreciation for the local river. Julie is inexplicably more kind to Whalen than others in the situation seem to be. When Andrew arrives from his office, Tom disbelievingly asks Andrew to explain why he has betrayed the workers by hiring strikebreakers. Andrew defends his decision, and Tom seems to empathize with him, but does not change his mind about continuing the strike. Whalen criticizes both men for having an unrealistic pride in the quality of their product, implying that their unwillingness to change business practices in favor of industrialization will prevent them from ever resolving their conflict. Tom, empathizing with his dear friend's predicament, shifts the blame towards Ellicott for having advised Andrew to hire strikebreakers. However, he also indicates to Andrew that his actions have forever dissolved their friendship and good rapport and promptly leaves the Rodman home. Whalen piggybacks on Firth's anger at the Rodmans and predicts that there will soon be fighting in the streets of the town. When the doorbell rings, heralding the arrival of Wilkie, Hannah, who has overheard their discussion of strikebreakers, refuses to answer the door as an act of support for the strikers. Instead, Ellicott exits to greet Wilkie at the front door. When Wilkie arrives, accompanied by Easter and Mossie, he and Whalen size each other up and make various underhanded accusations toward the practices of the other. Whalen implies that Wilkie intends to create a violent atmosphere, which Andrew considers to be insulting. As Whalen finally leaves, he runs into Cora, who is rudely dismissive of him, prompting Julie to publicly berate her snobbish attitude. Cora is offended by Julie's snap, and almost accuses her of inappropriately defending Whalen. Julie leaves abruptly at this point, and Ellicott invites Wilkie to stay for dinner and discuss their plans for breaking the strike. Whalen, obviously now unwelcome, also leaves the Rodman house. After informing the Rodman siblings that Mossie and Easter will be living with them as a for of protection from potential violence, Wilkie, Mossie and Easter are left alone onstage. When Wilkie leaves his thugs behind, they reveal that their business of strikebreaking has been unbelievably lucrative. Easter throws and knife, indicating the violent tendencies of Wilkie's strikebreaking team.

First Run

Days to Come was first produced on Broadway out of the Vanderbilt Theatre in New York City. It premiered on Dec. 15, 1936. The production was produced and directed by Herbert Shumlin. The sets were designed by Aline Bernstein.

Opening night cast

• Claire Woodbury ..... Hannah
• Muriel Gallick ..... Lucy
• Frieda Altman ..... Cora
• Ned Wever ..... Henry Ellicott
• William Harrigan ..... Andrew Rodman
• Florence Eldridge ..... Julie Rodman
• Joseph Sweeney ..... Thomas Firth
• Ben Smith ..... Leo Whalen
• Charles Dingle ..... Sam Wilkie
• Jack Carr ..... Mossie Dowel
• Thomas Fisher ..... Joe Easter

== References ==