▁he ▁had ▁imag ined ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁film ▁in ▁which ▁everything , ▁from ▁flower - bed s ▁to ▁uniform s , ▁would ▁be ▁st yl ised . ▁Begin ning ▁at ▁dawn ▁and ▁ending ▁at ▁mid night , ▁to ▁the ▁soft ▁ch ime ▁of ▁Big ▁Ben ▁in ▁the ▁distance , ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁' ge omet rical ▁and ▁emot ional , ▁the ▁emot ions ▁of ▁the ▁living ▁characters ▁to ▁be ▁shown ▁against ▁their ▁own ▁patterns ▁and ▁the ▁patterns ▁of ▁the ▁Park .' ▁Having ▁got ▁so ▁far , ▁he ▁wrote ▁to ▁Alfred ▁H itch cock , ▁and ▁when ▁H itch cock ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁d ined ▁with ▁us ▁Se an ▁explained ▁his ▁ideas ▁to ▁an ▁apparently ▁respons ive ▁hear er . ▁H itch cock ▁and ▁he ▁talked ▁excited ly . ▁They ▁part ed ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁terms , ▁with ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁another ▁immediate ▁meeting , ▁and ▁Se an ▁never ▁heard ▁again ." ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁un success ful ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁produced ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁In ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁O ' Case y ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁visit ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁production ▁of ▁Within ▁the ▁G ates , ▁which ▁he ▁adm ired ▁greatly . ▁It ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁actor ▁Mel v yn ▁Douglas ▁and ▁star red ▁L ill ian ▁G ish . ▁This ▁is ▁when ▁he ▁be fri ended ▁Eug ene ▁O ' Ne ill , ▁Sher wood ▁Anderson ▁and ▁George ▁Jean ▁Nathan