The Hairy Ape

The Hairy Ape had been written rather quickly in 1921, and the first production left little time between the final draft and the start of rehearsals. There is some dispute as to who actually directed the first production, with evidence that a triumvirate of Anthony Hopkins, James Light, and O'Neill contributed to the stage direction.

Alexander Woollcot reported in the New York Times that this Provincetown production was "a bitter, brutal, wildly fantastic play of nightmare hue and nightmare distortion." Other critics agreed, finding the play to be a powerful commentary on the human toll exacted from America's bumpy transition from an agrarian to industrial nation. Audiences also identified with O'Neill's characters, who represented, in some form, people from their everyday life.

The Hairy Ape's strong condemnation of the dehumanizing effects of industrialization made it appealing to many labor groups and unions, who seized upon its concepts to further their cause for better working conditions. The play also attracted the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which had kept a file on O'Neill. The organization's report on the playwright stated that "The Hairy Ape could easily lend itself to radical propaganda, and it is somewhat surprising that it has not already been used for this purpose."