condition, alienated from nature by his isolated consciousness, unable to find belonging in any social group or environment. This is a result from the industrialization of both the ship and New York. Racial degeneration Many critics often argued over O’Neill’s conception of race in The Hairy Ape. Yank, who often worked with coal, is said to have “blackface” through the play. This interpretation of “blackface” has led to a debate about Yank’s race. The coal combined with an unshaven face has covered the whiteness of his face, discarding his nationality. These characteristics combined contribute to his physical and psychological downfall throughout the play. His emotional detriment reflects his physical deterioration as well, where finally at the end of the play he has taken on animalistic qualities. In the last scene, Yank tries to explain to the ape that they are the same; his efforts to show their similar qualities end in Yank’s death. Yank’s defeat by the ape is degenerating to his mental state as well as his race and social class. Production timeline 1922: The Hairy Ape was first produced by the Provincetown Players. The production, directed and designed by Robert Edmond Jones, was praised for its use of expressionistic set design and staging techniques, and was transferred to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway. Actor Louis Wolheim became famous for his interpretation of Yank. 1930: A London production featuring African American actor Paul Robeson playing the lead white role, was a critical success, despite having only five performances. 1944: A low-budget film version produced by Jules Levey, released by United Artists, starred William Bendix, Susan Hayward, Dorothy Comingore, and John Loder. According to a review in the New York Sun it had a "happy ending" and generally "made the story lighter and less loaded with social significance". 1987: Later notable productions by Peter Stein's revival 1996: A postmodern multimedia interpretation by the Wooster Group with Willem Dafoe playing the protagonist. 2004: The Hairy Ape received positive reviews at the San Pedro Playhouse, Cellar Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. Deborah Martin of the San Antonio Express News said of Brad Milne "His Yank is raw and hard to forget." 2006: The Hairy Ape was staged to positive reviews by the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City. The Irish Voice declared, "O'Neill's spirit still resonates. [This] new production of The Hairy Ape reminds us why O'Neill is considered the first