Van Zorn

In Edwin Arlington Robinson's Van Zorn, a circle of artists, friends, and would-be lovers gathers in a studio where wit conceals old injuries and every compliment carries a sting. At the center is Weldon Farnham, a successful painter engaged to the beautiful Villa Vannevar, while Otto Mink needles everyone with comic sharpness, exposing the vanity, rivalry, and emotional strain beneath their polished conversation. When George Lucas appears, the mood darkens. His quiet reserve and obvious history with Villa suggest a life marked by disappointment, and Otto's probing brings out the play's deeper tensions around love, failure, and lost promise. Villa's banter masks uncertainty about Farnham, Lucas, and the future she is expected to choose. The arrival of the dignified, enigmatic Van Zorn adds another layer of mystery, as he speaks gravely of purpose, destiny, and belonging. As Lucas prepares to leave New York for a new life in the West, his farewell with Villa becomes a restrained, heartbreaking reckoning with regret, memory, and an unresolved past. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.