Sheridan Whiteside, the central figure in George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's play "The Man Who Came to Dinner," is a character of immense personality and disruption. Known as a famously outlandish New York City radio wit, Whiteside's unexpected and prolonged stay at the home of the well-to-do Stanley family in Mesalia, Ohio, forms the core of the comedic narrative. His presence, initially necessitated by an injury, quickly transforms into a reign of chaos,
profoundly impacting the lives of his unwilling hosts and their household.
The play opens with Whiteside invited to dine at the Stanleys' house during the weeks leading up to Christmas in the late 1930s. However, before he can even enter, he slips on a patch of ice outside their front door, injuring his hip. This accident confines him to the Stanleys' home, where he is attended by various professionals, including the absent-minded town physician Dr. Bradley, his frantic nurse Miss Preen, and his faithful secretary Maggie Cutler. What begins as a temporary convalescence quickly devolves into a month-long ordeal for the Stanleys.
A Master of Manipulation and Disruption
Confined to the house, Whiteside wastes no time in asserting his dominance and driving his hosts to distraction. He viciously insults them, monopolizes their house and staff, and runs up large phone bills. His eccentricities are further highlighted by the bizarre guests he receives, which include paroled convicts and the peculiar Professor Metz, who brings him a glass-encased cockroach colony. While he earns the intense dislike of Mr. Stanley, Whiteside surprisingly manages to befriend the Stanley's adult children, June and Richard, as well as Mr. Stanley's wildly eccentric older sister, Harriet Stanley.
Whiteside's manipulative nature extends to his personal relationships. When his secretary, Maggie Cutler, falls in love with local newspaperman and aspiring playwright Bert Jefferson and plans to leave her job to marry him, Whiteside cannot bear the thought of losing her. To sabotage their plans, he invites his glamorous and loose-living actress friend, Lorraine Sheldon, to Mesalia, hoping she will lure Bert away from Maggie. This scheme, however, backfires when Maggie learns of his interference, leading to further complications and comedic confrontations.
The Unraveling and the Ironic Twist
As Whiteside's stay progresses, his ruses begin to unravel. Dr. Bradley reveals that Whiteside's diagnosis was mistaken and he is well enough to leave. Whiteside, however, buys the doctor's silence by pretending to want to work on a book with him, continuously brushing him off for the rest of the play. His meddling continues as he encourages June Stanley to elope with a union organizer her father disapproves of, and Richard to pursue his dream of becoming a photographer, defying his father's wishes.
The climax of Whiteside's stay involves a desperate attempt to remove Lorraine Sheldon from Mesalia, with the help of his friend, movie comedian Banjo. They trick Lorraine into an Egyptian mummy case and ship her off. Mr. Stanley, furious at Whiteside's interference, orders his eviction. However, Whiteside discovers Harriet Stanley's past as a famous axe murderer and blackmails Mr. Stanley into allowing his children to follow their dreams and dropping the eviction. As Whiteside prepares to leave, he slips on another patch of ice, injuring himself again, and is carried back into the house, implying the comedic cycle might begin anew, much to Mr. Stanley's renewed consternation.
