THE GARBAGE MAN (A.K.A. THE MOON IS A GONG), 1926

The first of three plays written by Dos Passos, The Garbage Man makes its New York City premiere in Greenwich Village at the Cherry Lane Playhouse. A flop, it runs for only eighteen performances. The experimental play depicts America’s unraveling during the 1920s as its industrial progress outpaces its spiritual and intellectual growth. The main characters, Tom and Jane, are ultimately seized by Death, who is disguised as the Garbage Man.