The Unauthorized Afterlife of Eugene O'Neill

In his one-person show, James Cady creates a thoughtful and enlightening portrayal of America's great tragic playwright, offering a glimpse of the real Eugene O'Neill behind the gloomy mask. Cady, who bears a striking resemblance to O'Neill in his later years, finds the sparkle of mischievous Irish humor in the playwright's personality, as well as the legacy of fatalism in his heritage.

Cady offers a roughly chronological history of the playwright's life, from his birth in a hotel room in New York City in 1888 to his death in another hotel room in Boston in 1953. He describes O'Neill's troubled relationship with his father, the famous actor James O'Neill, who showed the promise of greatness but then squandered his talent in 6,000 performances of "The Count of Monte Cristo." Cady recounts the young O'Neill's descent into alcoholism and his struggles with booze for the rest of his life. But he also portrays the salvation that O'Neill found in playwriting.

O'Neill assumed that his family was cursed—from his mother's morphine addiction to his brother's alcoholism and the suicide of both of his sons. Yet he made it his life's credo that he would not sugarcoat these events with melodrama but instead would look squarely at the tragedy of human existence and write about it. Though our contemporary perspectives on alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental illness might suggest that even O'Neill's view of his family tragedies was somewhat romanticized, and the impact of O'Neill's dramas therefore diminished, there is no disputing the courageous and lonely stand O'Neill took in facing his own demons.

One-person shows are difficult and demanding, and Cady has succeeded admirably as a writer and a performer. In constructing the show, Cady walks a careful line between pathos and humor, balancing storytelling and observation. As a performer, he is confident and engaging, deftly mixing the elements of O'Neill's character into a rich and vital portrait. Direction by Brian Hansen is solid and simple, adding to the authentic tone of the piece.

Presented by and at the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Sept. 16-25. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. (Also Sat., 2 p.m. Sept. 24.) (626) 356-7529. www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.