'An Inspector Calls'

By Chang Se-moon

I am fortunate to have someone who has been taking me to all live-performance theaters in the Washington, D.C., area, including the National Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Toby's Dinner Theatre. The one common characteristic of all these theatres is the live performance by actors and actresses right in front of the audience.

On the basis of my limited experience in their performances, when they say these theaters strive to maintain “the highest artistic standard,” I believe it without a shred of doubt.

Many of these shows are musicals, my favorite. One I saw, however, was not a musical and, interestingly, this is the story of the show I am introducing in today's column.

The show was “An Inspector Calls” presented Nov. 20 at the Sidney Harman Hall of the Shakespeare Theatre. The play was written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley, and was performed in British English.

The spoken conversation was so clear that it was easy for me to follow the story.

Here is the story.

It is in April 1912, somewhere in England. The family of Arthur Birling, who is a wealthy factory owner and well-known local politician, is celebrating the engagement of their beautiful daughter Sheila to Gerald Croft from another well-known family in the community. Also in attendance are Birling's wife Sybil, their son Eric, Gerald, and Gerald's father.

Cozy and friendly conversation continues during which Arthur talks about his impending knighthood and stresses that “a man has to look after himself and his own.”

A man then arrives in a trench coat and a gloomy looking hat. He introduces himself as Inspector Goole from the local police department. He states that a young woman called Eva Smith has committed suicide by drinking strong disinfectant. Eva has left a diary naming names, including members of the Birling family, explaining why he came.

Initially, the family denies that they knew Eva. But, Inspector Goole leads to confessions by every member of the Birling family of how they have been involved one way or another in the struggling life of Eva.

Arthur admits that Eva worked in his company, but was fired about 18 months ago for her involvement in an abortive workers' strike. Arthur denies responsibility for her death, however.

Sheila, the daughter about to be engaged, joins the discussion. She admits that Eva served her in a department store where she worked, but had her fired for her alleged bad attitude. It was actually because of jealousy that Sheila felt toward Eva.

Sybil, Arthur's wife, enters the room. As the inspector interrogates Sybil, she admits that she knew Eva, known also as Daisy Renton. Gerald, Sheila's fiance, admits that he met a woman by that name and kept her as his mistress. Hearing that, Sheila returns the engagement ring, and signals the end of their engagement.

Inspector's interrogation identifies Sybil, Arthur's wife, as the head of a women's charity. Hungry and pregnant with no money, Eva turned to the charity for help. Sybil, however, convinced the charity to deny any help, by calling her a liar. Further interrogation led Sybil to declare that the “drunken young man” who had made Eva pregnant should confess and accept the responsibility.

Eric, son of Arthur and Sybil, then enters the room, and after brief questioning from Inspector Goole, he admits that he raped Eva and got her pregnant. He also stole money from his father Arthur and gave the money to Eva. According to the inspector, Eva refused to accept the money when she found that the money was stolen.

What is not clear to me is whether Sybil knew that the drunken person who made Eva pregnant was her own son, when her charity declined any help to Eva. What is clear, however, is that interrogation by Inspector Goole clearly established that all members of the Birling family, including Sheila's fiance Gerald, had contributed to Eva's suicide.

The inspector disappears after reminding the family, and the theater audience, that people are intertwined in society, and making the final statement that “If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.” Note that 1912 was only six years before World War I broke out.

After the inspector disappears, Sheila's fiance Gerald returns and says that there is no Inspector Goole in the local police department. Arthur makes a call to the chief of the police department and confirms that there is no Inspector Goole.

Finding out no such inspector exists, Gerald calls the local hospital and finds that no suicide of a young woman was reported. Everyone celebrates and Arthur sums up the evening's experience as no more than “bluffing”.

Then, there is another telephone call that Arthur the patriarch answers. The caller reports that a young woman died, likely a suicide by disinfectant, and the local police are on their way to question the Birlings. Here the show ends.

I wonder what the moral of the story is that its creator had in mind.

Chang Se-moon (changsemoon@yahoo.com) is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies.