Written in 1936 during a turbulent period in Hellman's life as a follow-up to her classic The
Children's Hour, Days to Come closed after only eight performances in its original run on Broadway. As a harbinger of the film noir genre, this dark play is filled with illicit love, power struggles, intrigue and murder. A rarely seen work from one of America's premier female playwrights, Days to Come tells the story of a privileged Midwestern family who must wrestle with the opposing forces of organized labor and union busters when employees at their small factory go on strike -- threatening their fortune, their friendships, and possibly their very existence. Exploring the intersection between the political and the personal, DAYS TO COME examines the struggle for self-determination and the potential fallout that ensues when the disempowered begin to question traditional notions of class and gender.