Before purchasing the course reader, I picked up a hardback copy of the 3-act version at the library. I will tell what I liked about each version. The first of the 3 acts gave a more thorough characterization of the husbands (one even went by a different name), and especially more detail of John and Harriet's affections. The one-act version, which is the original by Gerstenberg , dwelt more on the women's inner and outter selves. I found the whole concept very interesting. After all, doesn't every human have a primitive and a cultured side to them? Aren't most of us usually involved in a day-to-day struggle between what we want/need and what would be the appropriate way to act in order to get it?
I felt that this was a perfect script to read first, since a principle element of acting is knowing your objective and having each action follow as accordingly as possible. (I would say that, concentrating in performance). But themes aside, the dramaturgical choice in restructuring the plot into a three-act sequence was an interesting change. Gerstenberg's script leaves the reader with a different parting gift than the one I got from the library. The longer one is still about that most primitive of all traits: hunger. That undeniable hunger for food or financial security. However, Hetty's and Jack's (John's true self) inner selves contributed much more fodder for romantic ambivalence.
