The volume balances studies of leading dramatists, such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Eugene O'Neill, and Gertrude Stein, with discussion of previously marginalized playwrights. The contributors examine the movements and themes that framed these playwrights' work, such as the Harlem Renaissance, lesbian and gay drama, and the solo performances of the 1980s and 1990s. They also situate twentieth-century American drama within larger discussions about American ideas and culture, allowing readers both to get an overview and to make new connections between particular plays and playwrights.