What is the proper pronunciation of Treadwells play Machinal?
Treadwell chose “machinal’ from a word in French usage meaning “mechanical,” “automatic,” or “involuntary.” Much confusion has surrounded its pronunciation in English, although the typical American pronunciation of the play is “MOCK-en-al.” Some playbills for the 1928 Broadway production listed “MAK-i-nal” as the pronunciation, although some New York reviews of the time used both “ma-SHIN-al” and “MA-shin-al.” During the 1990 revival of the play in New York, some critics added “mock-en-AHL” to the mix, and the Royal National Theatre’s 1993 playbill added a British pronunciation, “MAK-in-al” (long A). In discussion with those who knew Treadwell, it appears she preferred “MA-shin-al.
