7 4 , ▁directed ▁by ▁Marshall ▁W . ▁Mason . ▁ ▁When ▁Or phe us ▁Des c ending ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Williams ▁wrote : ▁" On ▁the ▁surface ▁it ▁was ▁and ▁still ▁is ▁the ▁tale ▁of ▁a ▁wild - sp ir ited ▁boy ▁who ▁wand ers ▁into ▁a ▁conventional ▁community ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁and ▁creates ▁the ▁comm otion ▁of ▁a ▁fo x ▁in ▁a ▁ch icken ▁co op . ▁But ▁beneath ▁that ▁now ▁familiar ▁surface ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁play ▁about ▁un answer ed ▁questions ▁that ▁ha unt ▁the ▁hearts ▁of ▁people ▁and ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁continu ing ▁to ▁ask ▁them ... and ▁the ▁accept ance ▁of ▁pres cribed ▁answers ▁that ▁are ▁not ▁answers ▁at ▁all ." ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁is ▁a ▁modern ▁ret elling ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁Or phe us ▁legend ▁and ▁de als , ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁element al ▁fashion , ▁with ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁passion , ▁art , ▁and ▁imagination ▁to ▁re de em ▁and ▁rev ital ize ▁life , ▁giving ▁it ▁new ▁meaning . ▁The ▁story ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁dry ▁goods ▁store ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁southern ▁town ▁marked , ▁in ▁the ▁play , ▁by ▁conform ity , ▁sexual ▁fr ustration , ▁narrow ness , ▁and ▁rac ism . ▁In to ▁this ▁scene ▁steps ▁Val , ▁a ▁young ▁man ▁with ▁a ▁guitar , ▁a ▁sn akes kin ▁jack et , ▁a ▁question able ▁past , ▁and ▁und eni able ▁animal - er otic ▁energy ▁and ▁appeal . ▁He ▁gets ▁a ▁job ▁in