American drama, 1940-1960
Subtitle: a critical history
By: Thomas P. Adler.
Series: Twayne's critical history of American drama
Publisher: Twayne Publishers; Maxwell Macmillan Canada; Maxwell Macmillan International
Published: 1994
Place of publication: New York; Toronto; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 251
Subjects: American drama -- 20th century -- History and criticism.
Description: The 1940s and 1950s indisputably compose the classic period of American drama, witnessing the first productions of The Iceman Cometh and Long Day's Journey Into Night, of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, of The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Thomas P. Adler tells the story of these remarkable years largely through its dominant voices: Eugene O'Neill, Lillian Hellman, Arthur Miller, William Inge, Lorraine Hansberry, Edward Albee, and Tennessee Williams.

One chapter - in Williams's case two - is devoted to each, and through careful analysis of the work of one playwright after another the persistent themes of the period emerge.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 228-242) and index.
Table of contents: title: Setting the stage : America at war and at peace -- Eugene O'Neill : "Faithful realism" with a poet's touch -- Lillian Hellman : The conscience of the culture -- Arthur Miller : Fathers and sons, society and the self -- William Inge : The terms of diminishment -- Other voices of the'50's : Marching to different drummers -- Tennessee Williams in the 1940's and 1950's : Artist of the fugitive kind -- Tennessee Williams in the 1960's and 1970's : Death and the artist -- Lorraine Hansberry : Exploring dreams, explosive drama -- From the margins : Edward Albee and the avant-garde.