Conferences

The Society sponsors an international conference typically every three years, with our last conference held in July 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. It also sponsors scholarly panels at major academic conferences in theatre and literature, which include Modern Language Association (MLA), Comparative Drama Conference (CDC) and the American Literature Association (ALA) Conference.

The next EON International Conference will be in Athens, Greece in late May 2025.

Since its formation in 1979, The Eugene O’Neill International Society has sponsored several international conferences.

These include:

Eugene O’Neill “The Early Years,” 1984 (Suffolk University, Boston)
Eugene O’Neill “The Later Years,” 1986 (Suffolk University, Boston)
“O’Neill’s People,” 1995 (Suffolk University, Boston)
Eugene O’Neill “The Bermuda Years,” 1999 (Bermuda)
2003 in Tours, France
Where it All Began” 2005 (Provincetown, MA)
“O’Neill’s Global Legacy” 2008 (San Ramon, CA and at Tao House)
“O’Neill in Bohemia” 2011 (New York City)
“Eugene O’Neill: Hunted, Haunted, Home” 2014 (New London, CT)
“Eugene O’Neill: Ireland, the Constant Presence” 2017 (Galway, Ireland)
“Longing and Belonging” 2022 (Suffolk University, Boston)

In addition, the Eugene O’Neill International Society has been involved with several other notable conferences in Nanjing, China; Tokyo, Japan; and Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium. Other events sponsored by the Eugene O’Neill Society have included celebrations of actor Jason Robards’ O’Neill performances; panels with actresses Ingrid Bergman, Colleen Dewhurst, Ruby Dee and Geraldine Fitzgerald; gatherings in New London and Boston marking O’Neill’s birthday and death, respectively; and celebrations of other major O’Neillians' work at O’Neill’s homes at Tao House in Danville, California and; the Monte Cristo Cottage in New London Connecticut.; Spithead in Bermuda; and Le Plessis in Tours, France.

The Eugene O’Neill Medallion

The Eugene O’Neill Medallion is given to distinguished theatre artists, scholars, and educators who have dedicated significant portions of their careers to furthering knowledge and appreciation of O’Neill.

Past award recipients have included: actors Jason Robards, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brian Dennehy, Jessica Lange, Gabriel Byrne, and John Douglas Thompson; directors and producers José Quintero, Arvin Brown, Theodore Mann, Paul Libin, and Robert Falls; scholars Travis Bogard, Normand Berlin, Donald Gallup, Stephen A. Black, Jackson R. Bryer, Robert M. Dowling, William Davies King, Zander Brietzke, Thierry Dubost, and O’Neill Biographers Arthur and Barbara Gelb.

Other Medallion Awardees include past EONS Secretary Diane Schinerrer, curators of Monte Cristo Cottage Sally Pavetti and Lois McDonald, past EONS Presidents Brenda Murphy and Kurt Eisen, Chairman of the Board Steven Bloom, Society founder Jordan Miller; The Eugene O'Neill Review founding editor Fred Wilkins; and founder of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, George C. White.

In July 2022, the award was presented to the Eugene O'Neill Foundation of Danville, California, and the Irish Repertory Theatre of New York City.