The First Man

In Short

This play centers on Curtis Jayson, a dedicated explorer, and his wife, Martha, who have spent years traveling the globe to escape the grief of losing their two young children. Upon settling in their Connecticut hometown, their fragile peace is shattered when Martha becomes pregnant again—a development Curtis views as a betrayal of their bond. The drama chronicles the resulting rupture between the couple and the judgmental, claustrophobic interference of Curtis’s wealthy relatives. It remains a stark, haunting exploration of how personal trauma and societal pressure can destroy even the most profound human connections.

The Story

Curtis and Martha Jayson are an unconventional couple, having spent fifteen years living a rugged, mobile life to outrun the memory of their children, who died in a tragic accident years earlier. They return to Bridgetown, Connecticut, intending to continue their work as a team. Curtis, a man driven by intellectual ambition, hopes to lead an expedition to Asia to study the origins of mankind. Martha, however, has secretly become pregnant, a fact she is terrified to share with her husband.

As the couple navigates the expectations of Curtis’s narrow-minded, status-conscious family—including his banker father, his gossiping brothers, and their wives—the tension between Curtis’s scientific obsession and domestic reality deepens. Martha eventually confesses her pregnancy, hoping it will be a bridge to a new life. Instead, Curtis perceives the child as a rival, an "intruder" who threatens to steal Martha’s focus and destroy their singular, shared existence. His refusal to accept the pregnancy creates an agonizing wedge between them, even as they continue to love one another deeply.

The situation is worsened by the toxic atmosphere created by Curtis’s relatives, who whisper about Martha’s closeness to an old friend, Edward Bigelow, and speculate on the paternity of the child. The pressure mounts as the family’s petty malice infiltrates the home. When labor begins, the household is thick with dread and unspoken accusations. Tragically, Martha dies during childbirth. In her final moments, she and Curtis find a fleeting, painful reconciliation, but the aftermath leaves Curtis shattered.

Consumed by grief and a lingering, irrational hatred for the child he blames for Martha’s death, Curtis refuses to see the baby. He determines to abandon his home and embark on his Asian expedition immediately. Despite the pleas of Bigelow and his own father, who urge him to show mercy and stay, Curtis remains unmoved. In a final, stinging confrontation, his sister-in-law Emily voices the vile rumors that the family has been harboring about Martha’s fidelity. Aghast at their filth, Curtis disowns his family’s small-mindedness and departs, leaving the newborn in their care. The play ends on a note of bitter resolution; while the family begins to rationalize the situation as a relieved "settlement," the wreckage of Curtis and Martha’s life is absolute.

How It Unfolds

The homecoming Curtis and Martha settle into their Connecticut home, attempting to resume their work while fending off the intrusive curiosity of the local community. The audience learns of their past—the loss of their children and their subsequent oath to never bear others—which defines their current, restless life.

The secret revealed Martha, yearning for a home and a child, struggles with the fear of telling Curtis about her pregnancy. As she shares her secret with his sister, the family’s gossip machine begins to turn, fueled by their jealousy of Martha’s influence over Curtis.

The ideological divide Curtis, excited about his upcoming Asian expedition, finally realizes Martha is pregnant and reacts with horror, viewing the child as an obstacle to their partnership. Martha pleads for him to see the child as a link, but Curtis is trapped in his own intellectual and emotional egoism.

The fatal struggle As labor begins, the household is consumed by the tension of the impending birth and the family’s malicious rumors. Martha dies in childbirth, leaving the infant behind and pushing Curtis into a state of dissociative rage and grief.

The final rejection In the wake of the funeral, Curtis confronts his family and his former friend, Bigelow. He confirms his plan to depart for Asia, rejects the infant, and expresses his utter contempt for the small-minded judgment that destroyed the only life he valued.

The People

• Curtis Jayson: A brilliant, restless, and deeply intellectual man. His entire identity is wrapped in his scientific work and his wife’s companionship. He is unable to process human emotion outside of his own narrow frame, leading him to view his own child as an enemy.
• Martha Jayson: A woman defined by her devotion to Curtis and her attempt to move past the tragedy of her lost children. She seeks a "normal" family life, which ultimately becomes the cause of her undoing.
• John Jayson: Curtis’s father, a banker who represents the stultifying, materialistic values of the town. He is perpetually concerned with reputation and family standing.
• Emily: John’s wife, who serves as the engine for the family's malice. Her jealousy of Martha manifests as toxic, persistent suspicion.
• Edward Bigelow: A family friend who, despite his own flaws, tries to act as a bridge between Curtis and his responsibilities. His failure to reach Curtis highlights the irreparable nature of the protagonist’s grief.

In Its Own Voice

"We were real lunatics for a time. And then when we'd calmed down enough to realize--how things stood with us--we swore we'd never have children again--to steal away their memory."

Martha explains to Bigelow the origin of her and Curtis's shared vow to remain childless, which haunts the narrative.

"I've depended on you. This is the crucial point--the biggest thing of my life--and you desert me!"

Curtis laments his wife’s pregnancy, revealing his fundamental inability to see her as anything other than an instrument of his own ambitions.

"I hate it from the bottom of my soul--I will never see it--never--never--I take my oath!"

In his moment of deepest grief, Curtis rejects his newborn son, swearing never to look at the child he blames for his wife’s death.

What It's Really About

At its core, the play explores the destructive power of intellectual narcissism when it excludes the realities of human biology and connection. Curtis’s "science" is a shield against life, and his inability to accommodate the messy, biological necessity of a child highlights a fatal flaw in his philosophy. The work also examines the corrosive nature of small-town social structures, where gossip and rigid expectations act as a slow-acting poison on those who dare to live differently. It asks whether one can truly be "free" if they refuse to accept the basic responsibilities and vulnerabilities that accompany the human condition. Ultimately, it is a tragedy of a man who chooses the abstract "idea" of a partner over the reality of his own blood.

Why Read It Today

This play is a challenging, intense experience. It captures a specific, suffocating brand of early 20th-century domestic melodrama, filled with the sharp, acidic dialogue of a family tearing itself apart. Readers who appreciate psychological realism—and are willing to engage with characters who are deeply flawed, often unlikable, and driven by raw, sometimes irrational impulses—will find it compelling.

The play does not shy away from the darker aspects of the human psyche. Curtis’s rejection of his child is jarring and difficult to witness, and the family’s petty, venomous behavior feels painfully modern in its depiction of how people destroy what they do not understand. While the prose is grounded in its period, the central conflict—the struggle between personal, individual ambition and the demands of family and legacy—remains timeless. It is a dense, claustrophobic read that leaves a lasting impression, particularly in its refusal to offer the audience a tidy or redemptive ending. Those who enjoy plays that examine the wreckage of a marriage and the crushing weight of social conformity will find it a powerful, if bleak, piece of theater. It is a work that demands the reader navigate the uncomfortable space between pity for the grieving and disgust for the selfish.