The Cream in the Well (original) (raw)

The Cream in the Well is a full-length tragedy play written by Lynn Riggs. Completed in 1940 and copyrighted the same year after opening in Washington, D.C., it had a twenty-four week run on Broadway at The Booth Theatre. The plot takes place in 1906 in Indian Territory, leading up to the statehood of Oklahoma. Set during the Allotment period, the play follows the ratification of the Curtis Act. Backlash from newspaper critics influenced the play's initial reception: the portrayal of incestual relationships was considered especially controversial. Later critics have praised The Cream in the Well for creating Cherokee characters and non-Native characters that demonstrate the “rhythm and poetic quality” of regional speech.