Abstract
Eugene O'Neill's complex, lengthy, and precise stage directions have long garnered attention from scholars and performers alike. And yet the voices that so often claim these words prescribe actions to be taken by actors do not take into account the variety of ways that O'Neill's stage directions function in terms of actual theatrical productions. This article analyzes two particular techniques O'Neill utilized to write stage directions that practically enable a wide variety of performance possibilities. The first category, spoken stage directions, relates the thought asides in plays such as Strange Interlude, to the lengthy stage directions in his other plays, arguing that they function similarly for an actor. The second category, affective stage directions, shows how O'Neill's words function as a conduit to the emotion, tone, and mood of a character and/or scene and the actor(s) performing.