The Greeks Had a Word for It

The Greeks Had a Word for It (also known as The Greeks Had a Name for It) is a 1930 play written by Zoe Akins. It is a three-act comedy that becomes farce only at the end. It has a medium-sized cast, multiple settings, and pacing that reviewers said showed "indecision" and "sluggishness". It is so episodic in nature that one critic called it three one-act plays joined together by leading characters. It depicts the relationships of three ex-chorus girls with themselves and their would-be paramours. The author never reveals what word she had in mind. Produced and staged by William Harris Jr., with settings by Livingstone Platt, it starred Muriel Kirkland, Verree Teasdale, and Dorothy Hall. It ran on Broadway from September 1930 through May 1931. One reviewer criticized its moral quality even as he praised its writing and performance, while another put it on his end of season "Best Plays" list. The play was never published nor revived on Broadway, but was adapted for the film The Greeks Had a Word for Them in 1932. Characters Lead Schatze is a woman of German-American heritage, practical and even-tempered, if a little slow. Jean is a blonde of Italian-American heritage, the most glamorous and aggressive of the trio. Polaire is 19, a red-haired woman from the American South, the most intelligent of the trio. Supporting Louis Small is a Wall Street broker whom Schatze is playing house with. Dey Emery is a sincere but callow youth in love with Polaire, the only man Jean can't get. Boris Feldman is a Russian concert pianist, whom Polaire and Jean scrap over. Justin Emery is Dey's middle-aged father, a very wealthy banker. Featured Waiter in Night Club Russian Woman Jones Stanton Waiter Bellows