The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail Summary | Act 1 Summary

The play starts with the stage set with a jail cell in the center of the stage. The two cots in the cell are occupied by sleeping men. Aside from this jail cell set the rest of the stage is bare and will be changed throughout the play with minor props and lighting that will be used to suggest shifts in time and location. The play is set in Concord, Massachusetts.

The first lighting cue has moonlight falling on the sleeping form of Henry (Henry David Thoreau), while the other prisoner is in shadow. The lighting on the empty areas of the set is weak to suggest winter. An old man enters with his wife. The man is Ralph Waldo Emerson (Waldo), and his wife is Lydian. As they walk on stage, Waldo is trying to recall the name of a friend of his. Lydian suggests the name he is look for is Henry, and Waldo suggests David.

In another area of the stage, Henry's mother is visibly upset and asks him what he has done. Henry sits up on his cot and explains that he has actually "not done something." She is shocked, and yells offstage to someone named Louisa that "David Henry" had not done something. Henry corrects her, and she calls him strange. At this point Waldo speaks again and says that he almost understood the strange Henry.

Henry and his mother keep talking, and she tells him she does not know whom he is. He replies that he is himself, and the two discuss the fact that he has not been baptized and that he did not cry at his christening. Waldo interjects that Henry was strange, sad, and happy, and that he worked on Sundays. Waldo, who is clearly quite old, is losing his senses, as he then mistakes his umbrella for a person. Henry's mother then upbraids him for actively trying to do things backwards. Henry replies that he likes the way the alphabet sounds and feels when read backwards, and that things should be mixed up to make the alphabet less linear and more human.

The lighting on Waldo's side of the stage shifts to a stronger hue, and a younger Waldo is seen giving a lecture. He urges his audience to "cast conformity behind you." Henry sits cross-legged and repeats Waldo's words like a mantra. His mother and brother John then discuss the fact that Henry does not do what society expects of him. John attributes this to Henry's Harvard education, and his mother reacts violently to hearing the name.

She leaves the stage, and John and Henry begin a discussion under lighting that is described as summer-like and warm. The stage directions suggest that they are in a field. Henry tells John that college was a waste of time except for Waldo's lectures. He explains how Waldo's theory of the "Universal Mind" unites all of humanity and nature. The two joke about their Aunt Louisa, and Henry says that he wants to be "as much as possible like Ralph Waldo Emerson."

The scene shifts to Waldo and Lydian. They are discussing one of Waldo's lectures, and Waldo is filled with doubts about his performance and the way in which it was received. Lydian reassures him that he did a good job and that his students were concentrating hard on his words.

The audience's attention then goes back to the jail cell, where Henry is seen waking up his snoring cellmate, Bailey. He tries to talk to Bailey about freedom and philosophy, but Bailey turns out to be uneducated. Bailey asks what Henry has done, and Henry replies that he has not committed the murder of Mexico. Bailey does not understand, and Henry explains how the president has gone to war without the approval of Congress. He adds that he does not approve of the war either and refuses to support it.

Bailey tells Henry that he has been waiting in jail for three months for a trial on the charge of burning down a barn. Henry is outraged on his behalf, but Bailey tells him that he just wants to "get along" without fighting the system. Henry points out that just doing what is expected can suffocate you, asking where God might be if he had done, what everyone wanted. Bailey protests against Henry's likening his barn burning to a protest against injustice, fearing that he will be put in jail. Henry points out that he is already in jail, and then wonders if he will have to wait three months for his trial.

Bailey admires Henry's intellect, and confesses his illiteracy. Henry teaches him how to read and write his name using a variety of mnemonic techniques. Bailey is impressed and observes that Henry must be a teacher. There is another shift in lighting, and Henry moves the chair in the prison cell to the front of the stage and assumes the role of a schoolteacher.

Henry then proceeds to lecture the audience on particles as though they were students. He is interrupted by Deacon Ball, the Chair of the Concord School Committee, who questions his teaching methods. Henry points to a student named Potter in the first row of the audience who has asked about the existence of God. Ball is shocked at what Henry has been discussing with his class, and says that matters of theology should be left to religious leaders. Henry begins to introduce Waldo's concept of the Universal Mind.

At this point, we see Waldo in academic robes on another part of the stage. He is lecturing on the Universal Mind and his words reinforce and compliment Henry. Ball becomes highly agitated, and takes Henry to task for not using "proscribed" (which actually means forbidden) textbooks. Henry seizes on his wrong word choice, prompting some students to laugh. Ball tells Henry to stick to the textbooks, and Henry continues to mock him by telling his students to prevent all their senses from experiencing life so that they can all focus solely on the books.

Ball threatens to report Henry to the School Committee. John then appears and urges Henry to apologize to Ball so that he can continue teaching. Henry does so, and Ball forgives him. He insists that Henry flog his students. We see Henry flogging six imaginary students, visibly struggling with his disgust. Ball congratulates him, and notes that he can report that Henry has done the expected. Henry interrupts and notes that he will not teach anymore, and we see Waldo resigning as a Unitarian Minister.

The attention then shifts to John and Mother, who note the similarities between Waldo and Henrys' speeches. John tries to cheer his brother up by telling him that schools do not need curriculum or direction. Henry is inspired, and proposes they start their own school. Next, we see Henry and John in a meadow. Henry has a straw hat and while addressing a crowd of unseen students, John holds a telescope. Henry is pointing out species of flower and grass to his students.

Henry soon waxes poetic on the possibility of obscurity. He notices a girl who is much older than the rest of the class and is taking notes. Henry notes that she should not be writing down what he is saying. She offers to leave, since she has not paid tuition, but both Henry and John urge her to stay. Henry is busily pointing out different species of grass when he discovers a species he has not seen in the area. He catches Ellen writing notes once again, and urges her to be an individual. John tells him not to shout at the girl, and Henry then urges all his students not to emulate him but to savor their sensations of the world.

Henry returns to his jail cell, where Bailey is happily practicing writing his name. Henry is suddenly disgusted and urges him to remain uneducated so that he will not write books. Bailey is delighted to be in jail with an author. Henry notes that people must find books instead of the other way around, and rues the fact that his recently published book did not sell well.

The next mini scene sees Henry and John carrying the clothing box from the cell to the front of the stage. It becomes clear that the box is a boat. John tells Henry that enrolment in their school has declined, so that they now have only one student left. Ellen appears after John leaves. Henry invites her for a boat ride, and she tells him that her father has withdrawn her little brother Edmund from the school because he does not approve of Transcendentalism. However, it becomes clear that neither Ellen nor her father really understand Transcendentalism.

During the boat ride, Henry attempts to explain Transcendentalism to Ellen. He laments the fact that humanity has done so much damage to the environment. He notes that it is good that men do not know how to fly, because if they did they would damage and dirty the clouds and the air. He adds that Transcendentalism is a person's thoughts or emotions that transcend or rise above their external perceptions. He invites her to go beyond "living" and start "being." He adds in a jumbled way that she is beautiful - he is clearly becoming romantically interested.

Ellen is flattered, and says that she finds Transcendentalism to be "nice" rather than wicked. She explains how her brother and father had fought over Transcendentalism at the dinner table. Henry notes that older people like her father are "polluted" by advice, and strongly urges Ellen to maintain her "innocence" by thinking for herself. She notes that she has to go home, and Henry delays. He finally tells her that he loves her, and she continues to ask him to take her ashore. We briefly see John and Mother discussing their happiness that Henry is in love with a girl.

Henry, however, has been rebuffed by Ellen. He agrees to take her to shore if she will go to church with John, noting that John liked her very much. Ellen asks what will happen to the school now that there are no students. Henry says he will be the student and will learn from nature. His intensity frightens Ellen away, and he is visibly frustrated with himself.

Henry then returns to the cell and asks Bailey about marriage. Bailey gives a derisive snort, and Henry points out that not many men seem to care for marriage. He then notes that he can feel the sound waves from the clock tower, and that he is freer in a jail cell than are the people outside.

The lighting on the jail cell fades, and new lighting emulates a stained glass window. We see a row of people worshipping at a church and singing a hymn ("Blessed be the Tie that Binds"). The crowd includes Ball, Waldo, Lydian, Edward (Waldo's son), Mother, Sam Staples (the constable who put Henry in Jail), John, and Ellen. As the hymn ends, we see Edward scratch his bottom until Lydian stops him. Ball asks Waldo about listening to another clergyman, and Waldo replies that he is always glad when the sermon is over.

As the crowd moves out of the church area, Henry rolls a wheelbarrow up to them. Ball tells Henry that they have been feeding their souls, and Henry replies he has been feeding plants with manure. Ball notes that it is a sin to work on Sundays, and John notes that Henry worships in nature. Waldo questions the purpose of churches, and tells Ball that Henry is declaring his independence every day. Mother again laments Henry's strangeness, and hopes that John will turn out not to be strange as well.

The lighting shifts again to the field, where we see Henry celebrating Ellen agreeing to marry John. John quickly tells him that she is not marrying him because her father objects, and that she wishes Henry would have proposed so that she could refuse him also. John notes that she would marry both of them, and the two briefly discuss polygamy. They then discuss how only their father and mother are married; all others in the family are spinsters or bachelors. They then agree that they will remain celibate until they are 90 and 92 years old, at which time they will both pursue Ellen.

The lights go dark and church bells ring. The lights rise to the church set, and the Unitarian Minister eulogizes John. Mother asks Henry to pray with her, but Henry says that he cannot. Mother urges him to pray for John's soul, and Henry says that he cannot pray to a God that does not listen. Ellen approaches Henry, offers her condolences, and asks for details of John's death. Henry is sarcastic towards her, and explains how John died of blood poisoning from a dirty razor. Henry becomes agitated and questions God as to his motives in taking John. Ellen is sympathetic, and asks Henry if God gives pain so that humans can transcend it. Henry is seized with a new feeling of love for her because she actually understands Transcendentalism, but does not hug her out of a sense of propriety.

The scene shifts to Waldo's study, where Henry is applying for work as a repairperson because he wants to stop thinking. Lydian suggests that he could be a guide and teacher for Edward. Henry offers to be a tutor, and Waldo agrees. When Waldo offers money, Henry notes that he has already been paid by being able to listen to his mentor's lectures. Henry compares Waldo to a Roman emperor giving away gold coins, and Waldo notes that these emperors "were trying to buy popularity." Waldo tells him to stop thinking, and notes to Lydian that it will be interesting having a Harvard-educated repairperson. The group then agrees they will call each other Lydian, Henry, Waldo, and Edward.

Edward then enters, being introduced to Henry. He is cautious about meeting his new tutor, and we are told that he prefers his mother to his more intellectual father. Edward leaves, and Henry offers to work for 10 cents a week. He tells Waldo that without a salary, he will be free of obligations, but Waldo insists he must be paid. Henry then proposes to work for a piece of Waldo's property in the woods, so that he can conduct an "experiment."

Waldo congratulates him for planning his retirement. Henry objects to the whole notion of retirement, noting that people work during the best part of their lives so they can relax during their declining years. Waldo tells the story of a man who went to India to earn a fortune so he could retire and be a poet. The man died with a huge fortune, says Waldo, and no poems.

Waldo agrees to give Henry his piece of the woods, and then asks Lydian to make a list of things for Henry to do. Henry cuts him off, saying that the things that need doing will tell him about it. Waldo is happy to hear that he will not be bothered with details, and adds that he may come to Henry for ideas on things he is writing. Henry exits, and Waldo and Lydian discuss his strange nature briefly.

The scene shifts back to Thoreau's jail cell, where he and Bailey discuss time zones after Bailey asks for the time. Henry compares time to a river, noting that you cannot count the water as it flows by. He suggests swimming instead, and when Bailey says he cannot swim Henry tells him not to struggle with the water.

The two then go to the window of the cell and watch a drunk stagger around outside. They discuss drinking, and Henry notes that he drinks the air and gets drunk from nature. He tells Bailey that he lives in the woods by a pond. The lighting shifts to a subtle green like a forest, and a flute can be heard. Henry describes his little patch of forest by Walden Pond. Bailey is amazed, and Henry tells him that he stays there all the time except for trips to town for supplies.

Henry takes off one shoe, and the scene shifts to the main street of town. Townsfolk look strangely at Henry, but he ignores them. Ball confronts him, and Henry rebuffs him. Sam Staples then approaches Henry and tells him he must pay his property taxes. Henry uses the tax bill to cover the hole in his shoe. Sam notes that he does not like having to serve Henry with the bill, and Henry urges him to quit as constable. The two argue some more, and Sam offers to lend Henry the money to pay his taxes.

Henry objects violently, and notes that he will not pay his taxes because the government is corrupt. Sam tells him it is the law, and Ball urges him to arrest Henry. Henry agrees, and says that if more people were willing to go to jail to protest the government they could effect change on the scale of the American Revolution. The crowd argues that he is breaking the law and revolting against the government. Henry says that he will not give money to the government because he does not approve of its actions. Sam tells him that Waldo has paid his taxes, but Henry states firmly that he will not support the president. Sam reluctantly leads Henry to jail.

Sam and Henry enter the cell, and Sam asks Henry questions on a form. When he asks Henry what his occupation is, Henry answers with several of the different jobs he has done. Sam is not ready to deal with Henry's attitude and marks him as a carpenter.

The scene shifts to Waldo's house, where Lydian brings Waldo a note telling of Henry's arrest. Waldo is glib about the arrest, suggesting that Henry committed a mercy killing by murdering the tiresome Ball. Lydian hands him the note, and the lights go up on Henry's mother. She is upset, noting that her nightmare of Henry being arrested has come true.

The lights shift to the cell once more, and Sam urges Henry to pay his taxes. Henry refuses. We then see Waldo preparing to go to the jail in the middle of the night to see Henry. Sam again urges Henry to pay, and Henry tells him he will not pay for the war in Mexico because to do so would make him a murdered. Sam leaves the keys and Henry returns them to him. Waldo enters from the back of the theatre, asking why Henry has gone to jail. The act closes with Henry asking Waldo why he has is not in jail.