“Anna Christie,” Chris Christophersen, and dat ole davil Broadway

Many scholars have examined “Anna Christie” and its ending, frequently suggesting that the play functions well as a barometer of O’Neill’s artistic growth at a critical juncture in his development as a playwright. This article argues that in revising Chris Christophersen, the play out of which “Anna Christie” was born, O’Neill purposefully addressed criticisms leveled at the play in an effort to generate a commercial hit, but struggled to maintain the essence of the original title character. The end result was a play in which Chris, a beloved protagonist more suited to the world of the Glencairn plays, was cast adrift in the unfamiliar world of the Broadway show shop.