The Skin of Our Teeth

The Skin of Our Teeth
Don Freeman · Public domain · source
Name	The Skin of Our Teeth
Writer	Thornton Wilder
Characters	George Antrobus, Maggie Antrobus, Sabina
Setting	Excelsior, New Jersey; The Antrobus home
Premiere	15 October 1942
Place	Shubert Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut
Orig lang	English
Genre	Allegory, Comic drama
Subject	Human resilience, history, family

The Skin of Our Teeth is a three-act play by the American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Thornton Wilder. First staged in 1942, the work employs metatheatrical devices and anachronism to chronicle the perpetual struggles and survival of the Antrobus family across millennia of human history. Blending farce with profound philosophical inquiry, the play examines themes of human resilience, domesticity, and the cyclical nature of civilization through the allegorical lens of a single suburban household. Its innovative structure and timely message during World War II earned it critical acclaim and enduring recognition in the American theatre.

Plot summary

The play follows the Antrobus family of Excelsior, New Jersey, as they confront existential catastrophes echoing major epochs. In Act I, the family, alongside their cynical maid Sabina, endures an advancing Ice Age, with the patriarch George Antrobus inventing the wheel and the alphabet. Act II, set at a convention of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Mammals in Atlantic City, sees George tempted by a Fortune Teller and a beauty queen while a great flood approaches, mirroring the biblical deluge. The final act depicts the family emerging from a devastating war, rebuilding their home and reconciling with Sabina, who has abandoned her role. Throughout, characters break the fourth wall, commenting on the action and their own performances, while figures like Homer and the Muses appear anachronistically.

Production history

The play premiered on October 15, 1942, at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, before opening on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on November 18, 1942. The original production was directed by Elia Kazan, with scenic design by Albert Johnson and featured performances by Fredric March as George, Florence Eldridge as Maggie, and Tallulah Bankhead as Sabina. A successful USO tour followed during World War II. Notable revivals include a 1955 television production for Producers' Showcase starring Helen Hayes and Mary Martin, and a 1975 New York Shakespeare Festival staging at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. A major 2022 revival by Lincoln Center Theater, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, featured a revised book by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

Themes and analysis

Wilder constructs an allegory for the entire human condition, using the Antrobus family as an archetype for humanity. Central themes include the cyclical nature of history and war, the endurance of the family unit and domesticity as civilization's bedrock, and the necessity of hope and invention for survival. The play’s metatheatricality, where actors step out of character, underscores the idea that human history is a perpetual performance. Philosophical and religious references abound, from Augustinian concepts of time to parallels with the Book of Job. The character Sabina often serves as a voice of existential despair, contrasting with George’s Promethean optimism and Maggie’s pragmatic preservation of culture.

Critical reception

Initial reception was polarized; some critics hailed its ambition and innovation, while others found it confusing or pretentious. Positive reviews praised its daring form and profound message during the dark days of World War II, with Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times calling it a "brilliantly original play." Detractors, including columnist Walter Winchell, publicly denounced it. The play’s award of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1943 was controversial, partly due to similarities some perceived with James Joyce's Finnegans Wake, though a subsequent investigation cleared Wilder of plagiarism. Over time, critical consensus has solidified its status as a landmark of American drama, though modern analyses often grapple with its treatment of gender and its sometimes chaotic structure.

Awards and legacy

The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1943. It solidified Thornton Wilder’s reputation as a major American playwright following the success of Our Town. Its influence is seen in later metatheatrical and absurdist works by playwrights like Tom Stoppard and Tony Kushner. The 2022 revival by Lincoln Center Theater won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, introducing the work to a new generation and prompting re-evaluation of its themes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis. The play remains a staple in academic studies of 20th-century theatre and is frequently performed by regional and university theatres across the United States and internationally.

Category:American plays Category:Pulitzer Prize for Drama winners Category:1942 plays