We sat in a circle discussing drugs, anger, thwarted ambition and alcoholism and once we had gone over our weekend we returned to O'Neill. Initially, the group displayed little sympathy for the characters on view. However, all, in spite of, or possibly because of, their past, merit measured judgement. Tyrone, Mary, Jamie and Edmund - like all of us - wrestle with their history:
Tyrone Mary! For God's sake, forget the past!
Mary Why? How can I? The past is the present, isn't it? It's the future too. We all try to lie out of that but life won't let us.
Eventually, a greater understanding began to arise, that events had cruelly carved out the Tyrone's existence. Although agreeing to O'Neill's genius, we reckoned on refusing an invite to a Tyrone house party were it ever offered.
