Janus (play)

Janus is a two-act play written by Carolyn Green. It premiered on Broadway in 1955.

Synopsis:

The play centers around Jessica Woodruff and Robert Preston, a successful, sophisticated pair of secret collaborators. They write under the pen name "Janus," producing racy, best-selling novels together from their shared Greenwich Village apartment. The catch is that Jessica is happily married to a staid businessman in Connecticut, and Robert is also married, living in New Hampshire. Their professional relationship has blossomed into a deep emotional, and perhaps suppressed romantic, entanglement.

The arrival of a determined Irish woman, Molly Conroy, who believes Jessica's husband is having an affair, threatens to unravel the carefully constructed facade of their double lives. The play explores themes of fidelity, creativity, societal expectations, and the complexities of marriage. It focuses on the dilemma faced by Jessica and Robert as they navigate their successful but precarious partnership and the potential consequences of revealing their secret.

Original Broadway Production:

• Opened: November 25, 1955, at the Plymouth Theatre
• Closed: January 7, 1956
• Number of performances: 71
• Directed by: Reginald Denham
• Starring: Margaret Sullavan, Robert Preston (actor), Claude Dauphin

Characters:

• Jessica Woodruff: A successful writer, secretly half of the writing duo "Janus." Married to Denny.
• Robert Preston: A successful writer, secretly half of the writing duo "Janus." Married and living in New Hampshire.
• Denny Woodruff: Jessica's husband, unaware of her secret life.
• Molly Conroy: An Irish woman who suspects Denny of infidelity.
• Mrs. Bolton: The Woodruffs' housekeeper.

Themes:

The play explores various themes, including:

• The duality of human nature (alluded to by the title referencing the Roman god Janus, who has two faces).
• The conflict between personal desires and societal expectations.
• The complexities of love and marriage.
• The nature of creativity and collaboration.
• The consequences of keeping secrets.

Reception:

While the original production featured notable actors, the play received mixed reviews and had a relatively short run on Broadway.