Introduction & Overview of Both Your Houses by Maxwell Anderson

Both Your Houses Introduction

Maxwell Anderson's Both Your Houses is a political satire that is as relevant today as it was when it was first performed in 1933. The title comes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, in which Mercutio calls in his dying speech for "a plague on both your houses," referring to two warring families, the Montagues and the Capulets. In Anderson's play, the title refers to the two houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The play takes place during the Great Depression and concerns an idealistic young congressman who takes the surprising position of opposing a bill that provides money for a huge construction project in his district. Alan McClean has found out since his election that the price being charged to the taxpayers for construction of the dam in his state is much more than it needs to be; in addition, there are ...
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