Billy Budd

Billy Budd is a play by Louis O. Coxe and Robert H. Chapman based on Herman Melville's novella of the same name. Originally titled Uniform of Flesh, the play premiered Off-Broadway in 1949. Coxe and Chapman restructured and retitled the work for its Broadway debut in 1951. The revised version was a critical success, winning the Donaldson Award for Best First Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play in 1951. In 1952 the play was adapted for the television anthology series Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, and Peter Ustinov adapted the play into a film which premiered in 1962. Plot Set aboard the British naval vessel HMS Indomitable at sea in 1798, Billy Budd is a handsome, young, pure hearted and impressionable man who is the representation of good in the play. His counter is John Claggart, the Master of Arms, who is sadistic, bitter, and hates life. Claggart becomes envious of Billy's popularity with the crew and falsely accuses him of mutiny. Unable to defend himself due to a stutter condition which renders him unable to speak, Budd lashes out at Claggart in frustration and accidentally kills him. Although the crew comprehend that Claggart's death was not motivated by murderous intent, under the law Budd is guilty of killing a superior officer and is condemned to be hanged. Original version: Uniform of Flesh In its original version, Uniform of Flesh, the play was structured in two acts and nine scenes. It premiered Off-Broadway on January 29, 1949, at the Lenox Hill Theatre. Directed by Norris Houghton, the original cast included Charles Nolte in the title role; Peter Hobbs as John Claggart, Master-at-Arms; Tom McDermott as Captain Fairfax; Martin Brandt as Dansker; Winston Ross as First Officer Michael Seymour; Preston Hanson as Lieutenant Ratcliffe; Robert McQueeney as Lieutenant Wyatt; Carl Shelton as the Surgeon; Lee Marvin as Quartermaster Payne; John Fisher as Midshipman Gardiner; Everett Dwight as Midshipman Rea; Paul Anderson as Jenkins; Anthony Carr as Kincaid; Sherman Lloyd as O'Daniel; Guy Tano as the Butler; and Wynn Handman as Sentry Hallam. Revised version: Billy Budd Coxe and Chapman reworked portions of the play; changing its structure to 3 Acts and 4 scenes. Describing the experience of revising the play, Chapman stated, "We did it in six days over a barrel of martinis.