up ▁for ▁the ▁play ' s ▁promotion ▁of ▁N iet z sche an ▁ideas ▁that ▁Rand ▁later ▁rejected . ▁He ▁called ▁the ▁play ▁" a ▁powerful ▁and ▁el o quent ▁ple a ▁for ▁the ▁N iet z sche an ▁world view " ▁of ▁the ▁superior ity ▁of ▁the ▁" super man "; ▁this ▁is ▁represented ▁by ▁Fa ulk ner , ▁whom ▁M err ill ▁interpre ts ▁as ▁reject ing ▁external ▁moral ▁authority ▁and ▁the ▁" s lave ▁mor ality " ▁of ▁ordinary ▁people . ▁Bi ograph er ▁Anne ▁H eller ▁said ▁Rand ▁" l ater ▁ren ounced ▁her ▁rom antic ▁fasc ination ▁with ▁crim inals ", ▁making ▁the ▁characters ' ▁criminal ity ▁an ▁embar rass ment ▁for ▁her . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Since ▁its ▁premi ere , ▁Night ▁of ▁January ▁ 1 6 th ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁mixed ▁reception . ▁The ▁initial ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁run ▁as ▁Woman ▁on ▁Tri al ▁received ▁compl iment ary ▁reviews ; ▁Rand ▁was ▁disappoint ed ▁that ▁reviews ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁play ' s ▁mel od rama ▁and ▁its ▁similarity ▁to ▁The ▁Tri al ▁of ▁Mary ▁D ug an , ▁while ▁pay ing ▁little ▁attention ▁to ▁aspects ▁she ▁considered ▁more ▁important , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁contrast ing ▁ideas ▁of ▁individual ism ▁and ▁conform ity . ▁Although ▁Rand ▁later ▁described ▁the ▁production ▁as ▁" bad ly ▁hand ic apped ▁by ▁lack ▁of ▁funds " ▁and ▁" comp et ent , ▁but ▁somewhat ▁un ex c iting ", ▁it ▁performed ▁reason ably ▁well ▁at ▁the ▁box ▁office ▁during ▁its ▁short