Machinal Dramaturgy
Looking for more resources, information, or context? Explore the following posts for videos, articles, and additional thoughts on the show!
What is a yeast cake?
A newspaper ad from the 1920s recommending eating yeast cakes to improve health.
A yeast cake was a small, moist, refrigerated block of compressed fresh yeast wrapped in foil or paper, primarily used for baking bread. It was the standard active form of yeast before dried, granulated yeast packets became popular.
In the 1920s, consuming raw yeast cakes was a health fad believed to be a rich source of B vitamins. Yeast manufacturers used this as a way to sell more of their products, claiming it could cure constipation, bad breath, internal fatigue, and acne.
Fleischmann's, one of the leading yeast manufacturers, taps into its hypothetical health benefits in their advertisements.
How much was $12 worth in 1928?
$12 in 1928 is roughly equal to $225 today. This is about the middle of the price range for one night in a standard, nice honeymoon suite today (today’s prices range from $150-$300, luxury hotels range from $500-$1,000+ per night). However, in the late 1920s, the average price for a hotel room was $3-$5 per night (about $50-$70 in today’s money), so $12 per night was indeed a splurge for Husband.
Pictured right: A room at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, 1920. One night in this hotel cost $10-20 in the 20s.
What's the significance of Helen wanting her baby to have curly hair?
In the 1920s, women were cutting their hair shorter to keep with the trends of the time, so children having curly hair was a sign of their untouched youth and innocence. The desire for children with curly hair was heavily influenced by wanting kids to have a cherubic or doll-like look to them.
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In Helen's case, her longing for her child to have curly hair could also come from the fact that she describes her husband as having thin, straight hair. If her baby has curls then it would look less like her husband, a man she doesn't feel comfortable around but now has a kid with.
What's the "revolution below the Rio Grande"
Sophie Treadwell likely wrote this headline into Episode 7 - Domestic because it draws Helen's attention to her Lover and the time she spent with him, but there was actually a revolution below the Rio Grande in 1933 when Domestic takes place - The Cuban Revolution.
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The Cuban Revolution of 1933, also called the Sergeants' Revolt was a coup d'etat that began as a revolt of sergeants and enlisted military who allied with student activists at a nearby university to depose the president at the time and install a new government. This new government was led by a five-man coalition known as the Pentarchy of 1933. After five days of leading, the Pentarchy gave way to Ramon Grau to become president. The leader of the coup, Sergeant Fulgencio Batista, became the head of the armed forces and began a long period of influence on Cuban politics.​​​​
Ruth Snyder's Court Reports
Ruth Snyder's court reports are available to read! There are 6 volumes and over 3000 pages of material. In an effort to provide the most helpful and focused story for you all, the dramaturgs are combing through the reports to find the sections that are pertinent and relate to the plot of Machinal.
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Once we go through the reports, we will make the highlights available here!
Pictured right: Ruth Snyder testifies in court.
Were cameras allowed in court?
Cameras are allowed in most U.S. state trial-level courts, subject to judge approval and specific restrictions. Ruth Snyder was tried at Queens County Supreme Court which is a trial-level court in New York, so the photo above of her testifying was not forbidden from being captured.
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In federal courts, such as the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals, cameras are strictly prohibited.
When was the first execution by electric chair?
William Kemmler, a convicted murder, was the first person to be executed by the electric chair on August 6, 1890 at Auburn Prison in New York. The electric chair was initially intended as a more humane method of execution to hanging or firing squad. In Kemmler's case, he was electrocuted twice and a stronger charge was applied after he regained consciousness from the failed first attempt.
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Martha Place was the first woman executed by the electric chair on March 20, 1899 at Sing Sing Prison, the same place Ruth Snyder would be executed almost 30 years later.
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Ruth Snyder was the third woman executed by the electric chair, but there were dozens of men that died between the first execution in 1890 and hers and Judd Gray's in 1928.
The first electric chair, used by William Kemmler and others.
Where were the patches of hair shaved on people's heads before they were executed?
Those sentenced to execution by electric chair were shaved before the final act. Typically, just a patch on the top of the head was shaved. Then, a sponge saturated with the proper amount of a saline solution is placed on the shaved portion of the head underneath a metal cap that contains an electrode. If the sponge wasn't prepped properly, it could lead to a failed execution.
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People were also shaved on the calf of one leg, usually the right, where a second electrode with a conductive gel was placed. Once both electrodes were applied, the inmates face was covered to begin the execution.
How were people held down to the electric chair?
People were held to the electric chair with leather or metal straps across the arms, legs, chest, and groin.
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Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray were both held to the chair by leather straps.
Pictured left: The chair at Sing Sing Prison used by Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray, and others.
How did Ruth and Albert meet?
Ruth met her husband Albert Snyder while she was working as a secretary at Cosmopolitan Magazine. It is unknown how long he worked there, but he later went on to become the art editor of Motor Boating magazine and was successful in his work as an artist at Hearst Publications.
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Ruth and Albert only knew each other for 3-4 months before marrying.
Albert and Ruth Snyder