▁In ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁W . ▁B . ▁Ye ats ▁rejected ▁O ' Case y ' s ▁fourth ▁play , ▁The ▁Silver ▁T ass ie ▁for ▁the ▁Ab bey . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁imperial ist ▁wars ▁and ▁the ▁suffering ▁they ▁cause . ▁The ▁Ab bey ▁refused ▁to ▁perform ▁it . ▁The ▁premier ▁production ▁was ▁fund ed ▁by ▁Charles ▁B . ▁C och ran , ▁who ▁took ▁only ▁eigh teen ▁months ▁to ▁put ▁it ▁on ▁stage . ▁It ▁was ▁put ▁up ▁at ▁the ▁Apol lo ▁Theatre ▁but ▁last ed ▁for ▁only ▁twenty - six ▁performances . ▁It ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁Raymond ▁M asse y , ▁star red ▁Charles ▁L aught on ▁and ▁with ▁an ▁Act ▁II ▁set ▁design ▁by ▁August us ▁John . ▁George ▁Bernard ▁Shaw ▁and ▁Lady ▁Gregory ▁had ▁a ▁fav ou rable ▁opinion ▁of ▁the ▁show . ▁ ▁The ▁plays ▁O ' Case y ▁wrote ▁after ▁this ▁included ▁the ▁dark ly ▁alleg or ical ▁Within ▁the ▁G ates ▁( 1 9 3 4 ), ▁which ▁is ▁set ▁within ▁the ▁gates ▁of ▁a ▁busy ▁city ▁park ▁based ▁on ▁London ' s ▁Hy de ▁Park . ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁highly ▁controvers ial , ▁Eug ene ▁O ' Ne ill ▁respond ed ▁posit ively ▁to ▁it . ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁originally ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁film ▁script ▁for ▁Alfred ▁H itch cock . ▁O ' Case y ' s ▁wid ow ▁described ▁it ▁in ▁her ▁mem oir s , ▁Se an ▁( 1 9 7 1 ): " Origin ally