The Decades of Modern American Drama series provides a comprehensive survey and study of the theatre produced in each decade from the 1930s to 2009 in eight volumes. Each volume equips readers with a detailed understanding of the context from which work emerged: an introduction considers life in the decade with a focus on domestic life and conditions, social changes, culture, media, technology, industry and political events; while a chapter on the theatre of the decade offers a wide-ranging and thorough survey of theatres, companies, dramatists, new movements and developments in response to the economic and political conditions of the day. The work of the four most prominent playwrights from the decade receives in-depth analysis and re-evaluation by a team of experts, together with commentary on their subsequent work and legacy. A final section brings together original documents such as interviews with the playwrights and with directors, drafts of play scenes, and other previously unpublished material. The major writers and their works to receive in-depth coverage in this volume include: * William Inge: Picnic (1953), Bus Stop (1955) and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957); * Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Jerome Robbins: West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959); * Alice Childress: Just a Little Simple (1950), Gold Through the Trees (1952) and Trouble in Mind (1955); * Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee: Inherit the Wind (1955), Auntie Mame (1956) and The Gang's All Here (1959).

The Decades of Modern American Drama series provides a comprehensive survey and study of the theatre produced in each decade from the 1930s to 2009 in eight volumes. Each volume equips readers with a detailed understanding of the context from which work emerged: an introduction considers life in the decade with a focus on domestic life and conditions, social changes, culture, media, technology, industry and political events; while a chapter on the theatre of the decade offers a wide-ranging and thorough survey of theatres, companies, dramatists, new movements and developments in response to the economic and political conditions of the day. The work of the four most prominent playwrights from the decade receives in-depth analysis and re-evaluation by a team of experts, together with commentary on their subsequent work and legacy. A final section brings together original documents such as interviews with the playwrights and with directors, drafts of play scenes, and other previously unpublished material. The major writers and their works to receive in-depth coverage in this volume include: * William Inge: Picnic (1953), Bus Stop (1955) and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957); * Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Jerome Robbins: West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959); * Alice Childress: Just a Little Simple (1950), Gold Through the Trees (1952) and Trouble in Mind (1955); * Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee: Inherit the Wind (1955), Auntie Mame (1956) and The Gang's All Here (1959).

A Student Handbook to the Plays of Arthur Miller provides the essential guide to Miller's most studied and revived dramas. Authored by a team of leading scholars, it offers students a clear analysis and detailed commentary on five of Miller's plays: Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, All My Sons and Broken Glass. A consistent framework of analysis ensures that whether readers want a summary of the play, a commentary on the themes or characters, or a discussion of the work in performance, they can readily find what they need to develop their understanding and aid their appreciation of Miller's artistry. A chronology of Miller's life and work helps to situate his oeuvre in context and the introduction reinforces this by providing a clear overview of his writing, its recurrent themes and how these are intertwined with his life and times. For each play the author provides a summary of the plot, followed by commentary on: the contextthemescharactersstructure and languagethe play in production (both on stage and screen adaptations)questions for studynotes on words and phrases in the text The wealth of authoritative and clear commentary on each play, together with further questions that encourage comparison across Miller's work and related plays by other leading writers, ensures that this is the clearest and fullest guide to Miller's greatest plays.

Arthur Miller, best known for his works ""The Crucible and Death of a Salesman"", is one of America's most important dramatists. ""Critical Companion to Arthur Miller"" provides a reliable, up-to-date, and encyclopedic source of information on Miller for high school and college-level students, teachers, and the general public. This accessible volume covers his entire canon, including plays, screenplays, fiction, short stories, and poetry, as well as many of his important essays and critical pieces. Also included are detailed entries on literary, theatrical, and personal figures important to Miller; key terms and topics connected to his work; and various theatrical companies and places with which he has been associated. Coverage includes: A concise but comprehensive biography of Miller; Synopses and critical assessments of Miller's major and minor works; Descriptions of Miller's characters, from Willy Loman to John Proctor; Entries on people, places, and topics important to Miller's life and work, including Brooklyn, democracy, Elia Kazan, and Marilyn Monroe; and, Helpful bibliographies and a chronology of Miller's life.

American playwrights have made enormous contributions to world drama during the last century, and their works are widely read and performed. This reference conveniently introduces 10 of the most important modern American plays read by students. The dramatists represented include women and people of color, and their works frequently grapple with enduring social issues. An introductory overview of modern American drama begins the volume. Each of the chapters that follow is devoted to a particular work, including: Thornton Wilder's Our Town Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller's The Crucible Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Sam Shepard's Buried Child David Mamet's Glenngarry Glen Ross And August Wilson's The Piano Lesson. Each chapter provides a biography, a plot summary, a discussion of themes, major characters, and dramatic art, and a survey of the play's historical background and critical reception. The individual chapters cite works for further reading, and the volume closes with a selected, general bibliography.

The uniquely thematic approach of this resource will help teachers and librarians identify pertinent works of modern drama for students, and will enhance readers' understanding of these works. Organized alphabetically around 33 themes, each chapter presents an engaging essay exploring different perspectives of the theme in three representative plays. Readers will encounter themes of historical significance such as the heritage of slavery and the Holocaust, as well as timeless themes such as betrayal and guilt, growing up, and ambition and fame.

Ninety-nine plays are discussed, covering a broad range of works spanning more than a hundred years by such playwrights as George Bernard Shaw, Clifford Odets, and Henrik Ibsen, as well as more contemporary works by playwrights like David Mamet and Neil Simon. The selection of surveyed plays includes many of the canonical works most frequently assigned to students, such as Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Varied cultural perspectives are offered through chapters devoted to the experiences of African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and Latino Americans. DEGREESLThis resource will be helpful to librarians identifying dramatic works of related themes, and to educators developing thematic units for the classroom. Students are encouraged to compare and contrast themes in works from different playwrights and time periods. An index allows users to search for works by title or author.

Fifty years after the original production of Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller's play has as much emotional impact upon and relevance to the audience of twenty-first century America as it did when it was first performed. In this collection of papers, taken from the Fifth International Arthur Miller Conference in Brooklyn Heights, New York, authors focus on the play's position in America's dramatic literary canon. The subjects of the essays range from evaluation of the play in economic terms to critical analysis of specific productions, to a look at the body of Miller's works.

This critical introduction to Arthur Miller provides an indispensable aid for students and general readers to understand the depth and complexity of some of America's most important dramatic works. Beginning with a discussion of his life, this work traces not only Miller's theatrical career, but his formulative experiences with the Great Depression, the Holocaust, and the House Un-American Activities Committee. Detailed discussions of eight important plays are organized around the social and moral themes Miller derived from such events; these themes are evident in such works as "Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, " and "All My Sons." By placing Miller, within the context of his times, this discussion reveals how he was influenced by and reacted to the major events in his own life and in American culture. Analysis of his more recent works such as "The American Clock, Broken Glass" and "The Ride Down Mt. Morgan" illustrate the consistency of Miller's strong moral vision, and his continuing innovative contributions to American theatre.

A fascinating biographical chapter takes readers from Miller's childhood, through the Depression years, through three marriages; and from his theatrical apprenticeship, to eventual fame and critical acclaim for his plays and other literary and cinematic projects. The literary heritage chapter outlines Miller's literary and dramatic precursors, and considers the major aspects of his dramatic impact. The six chapters discussing his major plays are systematically presented to allow the reader to easily grasp the intricacies of their plots, characterizations, stylistic devices, and themes. In addition, each chapter offers a view of the social and/or historical context that influenced the plays' thematic development, as well as an alternate critical reading that demonstrates the richness of Miller's work. Lastly, the bibliography provides information on Miller's published works, including his screenplays and essays, biographical information, selected general criticism, and both contemporary reviews and critical studies of the plays discussed.

This collection of social, cultural, and historical documents and popular materials, with linking explanations and commentary, will help the reader to study the play in the context of its time and cultural background. The collected materials are designed to work with the play to highlight inherent conflicts within American society which lie at the heart of Death of a Salesman, and to explore how the play affects and is affected by social mores and beliefs. Salesmanship and the changing face of business, along with perceptions of sports, gender, and families, are explored through selections drawn from a rich variety of sources that help provide forceful evidence of the play's influence. Documents include essays, articles, and fiction, which have created or explored the social expectations of a typical American family in the late 1940s; unusual selections such as a self-analysis chart, an obituary, and a diary, which help to trace the history of salesmanship from the nineteenth century to the present day; and advertisements, song lyrics, speeches, how-to books, and other readings that promote an interdisciplinary study of the play. More than 70 short primary documents illustrate the cultural, social and historical milieu of the time in which the play takes place. Topics explored under Cultural Myths and Values include the Protestant work ethic vs. myths of success, the myth of the golden West vs. urban myth, and the culture of youth vs. the culture of age. A chapter on economic forces provides materials on business vs. morality, humanity vs. technology, the haves and the have-nots, American business culture, the Depression, and how to be an effective salesman. A chapter on family andgender expectations includes documents on the roles of fathers and mothers, providers vs. cowboys or playboys, and homemakers vs. call girls. A chapter on sports and leisure features documents on amateur football and sports and American values. A final chapter examines the impact of Death of a Salesman on American culture. Each chapter is followed by study questions, topics for writing and discussion, and a list of suggested reading. This work is an ideal companion for interdisciplinary study of the play.

A Student Handbook to the Plays of Arthur Miller provides the essential guide to Miller's most studied and revived dramas. Authored by a team of leading scholars, it offers students a clear analysis and detailed commentary on five of Miller's plays: All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge and Broken Glass. A consistent framework of analysis ensures that whether readers want a summary of the play, a commentary on the themes or characters, or a discussion of the work in performance, they can readily find what they need to develop their understanding and aid their appreciation of Miller's artistry. A chronology of Miller's life and work helps to situate his oeuvre in context and the introduction reinforces this by providing a clear overview of his writing, its recurrent themes and how these are intertwined with his life and times. For each play the author provides a summary of the plot, followed by commentary on the context, themes, characters, structure and language, and the play in production - both on stage and screen adaptations; there are questions for further study and detailed notes on words and phrases in the text. The wealth of authoritative and clear commentary on each play, together with further questions that encourage comparison across Miller's work and related plays by other leading writers, ensures that this is the clearest and fullest guide to Miller's greatest plays.