The Squall (play)

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The Squall is a 1926 melodrama by Jean Bart about a temptress who unsettles a content family living near Granada.

Plot
During a storm, a frightened Gypsy girl named Nubi seeks refuge with the Mendez family. El Moro, the harsh leader of her people, wants to take her back, but the family hides her. Nubi uses her beauty and cunning to seduce the men and stir up trouble, driving wedges between Pedro, Manuella, Juan, and José. Gossip spreads through the village as Delores Mendez prays for help. When Juan is seen leaving Nubi’s room with a valuable necklace, and El Moro returns with a whip, the family finally yields and hands Nubi over, hoping to restore their former peace.

Production history
- The play’s first production was by a summer stock company in Lakewood, Madison, Maine, August 9, 1926. Howard Lindsay directed, and Blanche Yurka starred.
- It moved to Broadway, produced by A. L. Jones and Morris Green, with Lionel Atwill directing, William Castle designing the sets, Langdon McCormick handling storm effects, and Blanche Yurka again in the lead.
- After a one-night tryout at the Mamaroneck Playhouse on November 3, 1926, it opened on Broadway November 11, 1926, at the 48th Street Theatre and ran for 443 performances, closing November 19, 1927.
- A film adaptation followed in 1929.

Author and reception
Jean Bart was the pen name of Marie Sarlabous, a French-born writer. The Squall was her first produced play. The production featured notable stage craft, especially the storm effects, and the performances of Blanche Yurka drew praise from many critics, though opinions on the play itself were mixed. Some critics called it sensational or trashy, while others found it absorbing and well-acted. The show later toured, with the original actress who played Nubi returning to the role in Brooklyn.