The Play

Dark Of The Moon is composed of elements from American folk-lore, and folk music, the chief source of inspiration being the hill-ballad, Barbara Alien.

It's about a witch-boy who falls in love with the all-too-human Barbara Allen, and who wants to become a human so that he may win her.

The conjur woman grants his wish, and he may remain a human forever if Barbara Allen will but remain faithful to him for one year.

The "folky" atmosphere is the first obstacle to a sophisticated audience. The play weans them from disbelief somewhat subtley by the crudest possible means—an injection of "mountain maythin." Ozark humour straight from the pages of A1 Capp.

The only stock character absent is "the revenoor." But he wasn't needed, even for a laugh.

Up in them that hills a man's an island unto himself till he's caught; an' a gall don't git wed till she has ter.

Waal, the Allen's is in a purty fix 'coas Barbara has ter, an' once agin all the men, sensing the threat to their status, has become women-shy.

All except the strange boy from Baldy Mountain—whar there ain't nobody lives—but anyway, he presses his suit and is taken.

Jest as well too, since he's the party who done Barbara wrong—but o' course, nobody really knows.

A lot of curious happenings make the locals of Buck Creed suspicious of "John Human" and his wife Barbara Allen, who eventually is bedded and gives birth to—a witch.

And all their fears and gossip becomes confirmed.

The night upon which John Human is to become really human—the night of the anniversary of Barbara's fidelity, coincides with the big revival meeting.

Barbara's mother has dragged, her to the meeting, and there the whole story comes out.

With the full sanction of the church, and in the midst of the congregation, Barbara is raped by a lusting local to save them all from calamity.

There is only left the death of Barbara and the return of the witch boy to the mountain-top to complete the tale.

The revival meeting is the grand climax—and from it [unclear: emeages] the play's message—the great theme of the modern American play—that is the function of society and the community to thwart, even destroy, the individual.

It is a strange and original way of making the point, but effective, and I nominate the revival meeting as being the mast disgusting and telling fragments of unbearability I have seen.