King Arthur's Socks and Other Village Plays

In Short

This collection of short plays, written during the height of Greenwich Village’s intellectual ferment, functions as a series of witty, often cynical, snapshots of human behavior. Through comedic fantasy, domestic conversation, and lighthearted satire, the work explores the tension between individual desire and the rigid expectations of society, particularly regarding marriage, gender roles, and personal freedom. These pieces have lasted because they capture the specific, vibrant energy of a bygone radical arts scene while retaining a sharp, enduring insight into the absurdities of human ego and romantic longing.

The Story

The plays move through a variety of registers—from the metaphysical to the domestic—constantly questioning why human beings feel compelled to build "nests" for themselves. In the opening pieces, we see characters confronting their own existential status. One play features a celestial exploration of the universe that concludes in a mundane investigation of Earth, while another, a comedic take on biblical tradition, features Joseph outmaneuvering his master, Potiphar, to secure both his freedom and an ambitious, egoistic partner.

As the collection progresses, the focus shifts toward the messy, often contradictory nature of modern relationships. Characters find themselves caught in a dance between their desire for independence and their conditioned need for romantic validation. In several instances, men and women engage in verbal sparring matches, dissecting their mutual attractions with a cold, almost surgical precision. They worry about the loss of their "souls" to the institution of marriage, debate the merits of separate lives versus shared burdens, and frequently discover that their partners are not the people they imagined them to be.

The middle section of the book deepens this exploration through fantasy and allegory. We see an angel who descends to earth only to find human love—and alcohol—infinitely more intoxicating than celestial hymns. Elsewhere, a King struggles to maintain order in a kingdom where the "Absolute" has gone missing, eventually finding that he must negotiate the terms of his marriage with a rebellious Princess who views herself as a mere peace-offering between warring nations. These stories are rarely about simple happily-ever-afters; instead, they are about the realization of one’s own limitations.

The closing works return to the domestic sphere, where the disillusionment of the characters is palpable. We see people like Harold, a man cast out of high society, stumbling through the Village while clinging to outdated ideas about ownership and virtue. Women in these scenes often serve as the catalysts for change, urging their counterparts to abandon their "nest-building" instincts and pursue their own dreams. The final notes are often bittersweet: a calendar leaf is torn, a dream is set free, and characters realize that the love they once felt—or thought they felt—was perhaps only an "enigma." The collection concludes with the realization that even in a place as liberated as Greenwich Village, the hardest thing to escape is one’s own personality.

How It Unfolds

The celestial vantage Two cosmic figures tour the universe, eventually pausing at the footnote of existence—Earth—to observe the curious, tiny dramas of mortal life. This framing sets a detached, observational tone that colors the succeeding scenes of human folly.

The battle of wits In the comedic adaptations, such as the tale of Joseph or the encounter with the angel, characters use cleverness to escape servitude or divine expectations. They treat their freedom as a game, winning their autonomy through irony and the exploitation of their partners' weaknesses.

The domestic mirror The plays transition into intimate, often tense conversations where marriage is treated as a trap for the soul. Couples argue over the nature of their commitments, frequently discovering that their romantic partners are actually relatives or that their own motives for love are entirely based on ego.

The institutional crisis In more fantastical settings, such as the kingdom without an Absolute, the political and personal merge. Authority figures and rebels attempt to negotiate their roles in a world where old rules no longer provide comfort or stability.

The final confrontation The collection winds down with characters stripping away their pretenses, often ending in separation or a hard-won realization of self-worth. The final beats emphasize that, regardless of the setting, individuals remain essentially alone, tasked with the difficult work of defining their own existence.

The People

Joseph is a clever, naturally susceptible man who manages to trade his status as a slave for a partnership with Asenath, a woman as unscrupulously ambitious as himself. They are a rare pair who recognize that their mutual egoism makes them the perfect, if loveless, match.

The Angel is a figure of naive longing who finds the physical world, and particularly the company of Annabelle, far more compelling than the repetitive hymns of heaven. His transition from a divine being to a man in a borrowed suit highlights the disruptive, transformative power of desire.

Guenevere is a sophisticated, self-aware woman who finds herself trapped between her husband and a would-be lover. She remains one of the most compelling figures because she recognizes the hypocrisy of her own desires, eventually rejecting her suitor precisely because he lacks the strength to truly challenge her.

Harold serves as the bumbling, slightly pathetic counterpoint to the more enlightened women around him. A man of "antiquated" ideas, he constantly seeks validation and rescue, only to be constantly disappointed by his own inability to understand the independent women who tolerate his presence.

The King and the Princess navigate a high-stakes union where personal happiness is secondary to the stability of kingdoms. Both must reconcile their desire for individual freedom with the crushing, inevitable weight of their public responsibilities.

In Its Own Voice

"Marriage is a nest so small that there is no room in it for disagreement."

This line is delivered by an agent of chaos in one of the plays, critiquing the stifling nature of conventional domestic arrangements.

"I want to be swept off my feet; I want to be made to do something I don't approve of."

Guenevere admits this desire for surrender, exposing the contradiction between her intellect and her romantic longings.

"A kiss is always the first kiss and the last—or it is nothing."

This assertion, made with intense fervor, encapsulates the dramatic, all-or-nothing philosophy that permeates these short works.

What It's Really About

The work is a sustained argument against the "nest-building" instinct—the tendency of humans to retreat into safe, small domestic structures that stifle the individual spirit. It interrogates the concept of freedom, suggesting that true autonomy is rarely found in traditional relationships or societal status. Beneath the wit lies a preoccupation with the "Absolute"—that elusive sense of order or truth that characters try and fail to find. Ultimately, the book explores the idea that love is often a projection of the ego, a way for individuals to validate their own importance, and that the most "real" moments are those that shatter the comfort of our daily illusions.

Why Read It Today

You will love this collection if you appreciate the sharp, repartee-heavy style of early twentieth-century drama, where the dialogue moves as quickly as a tennis match. The writing feels remarkably contemporary in its skepticism toward romance and its insistence that individuals define themselves independently of their partners. Reading it feels like sitting in the corner of a dimly lit, smoke-filled club, listening to the brightest, most cynical minds of an era dissect their lives.

However, the reader should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes regarding gender and social roles; while the author is clearly satirizing these norms, the characters sometimes express views that will feel dated or blunt to a modern ear. The plays are short and fleeting, intentionally so, which means you won’t find deep, sprawling character arcs, but rather sharp flashes of insight. What stays with you is the author's refusal to offer easy resolutions. He leaves his characters—and the reader—in a state of thoughtful uncertainty, reflecting the messy, unsolvable nature of modern life. It is an ideal read for anyone who enjoys plays that prioritize intellectual provocation over tidy, sentimental conclusions.