Modern American Drama: Playwriting in the 1940s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations (Decades of Modern American Drama: Playwriting from the 1930s to 2009, 3)

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documents such as interviews with the playwrights and with directors, drafts of play scenes, and other previously unpublished material.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 playwrights and their works to receive in-depth coverage in this volume include: - Eugene O'Neill: The Iceman Cometh (1946), A Moon for the Misbegotten (1947), Long Day's Journey Into Night (written 1941, produced 1956), and A Touch of the Poet (written 1942, produced 1958); - Tennessee Williams: The Glass Menagerie (1944), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Summer and Smoke (1948); - Arthur Miller: All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), and The Crucible (1953); - Thornton Wilder: Our Town (1938), The Skin of Our Teeth (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), and The Alcestiad (written 1940s). Acknowledgements Biographical Note and Notes on Contributors General Preface: Brenda Murphy and Julia Listengarten 1. Introduction to the 1940s 2. American Theatre in the 1940s 3. Introducing the Playwrights 4. Eugene O'Neill: Love and Loss of the Soul by Zander Brietzske 5. Thornton Wilder: Seeing Beyond Dark Times by Felicia Hardison Londré, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA. 6. Tennessee Williams: Experimentation and 'The Great American Play'by Thomas Keith, Pace University, USA. 7. Arthur Miller: The Individual and Social Responsibility by Valleri J.Robinson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA. Afterword Documents A High-School Perspective on Theatre in 1947 by Ann Crisp, Collecting O'Neill by Lamar Lentz Acting in The Skin of Our Teeth with Helen Hayes by Hank Whittemore Tennessee Williams in Provincetown by David Kaplan Mapping Arthur Miller's Brooklyn by Steven Marino Retrospective by Thomas D. Pawley III Notes Bibliography Index FC Half title Decades of Modern American Drama: Playwriting from the 1930s to 2009 Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Biographical Note and Notes on Contributors General Preface Brenda Murphy and Julia Listengarten 1 Introduction to the 1940s Felicia Hardison Londré Prelude to the Second World War Leaders of the decade The Second World War The war’s impact on civilian life Post-war domestic life and consumerism Children Teenagers Communications, media and transportation Women and fashion The culture Cold War anxieties 2 American Theatre in the 1940s Felicia Hardison Londré The late 1930s: Forebodings of war Idiot’s Delight Influential organizations It Can’t Happen Here Broadway plays and musicals Radio drama The 1940–1 and 1941–2 seasons African-American theatre Broadway plays and musicals Lady in the Dark The American Theatre Wing and other war service organizations Radio drama The war years, 1942–5 Broadway plays and musicals This Is the Army Oklahoma! The Paul Robeson Othello Post-war theatre, 1946–50 African-American theatre Broadway plays and musicals Modern dance and theatrical dance Tributary theatre Directors and producers 3 Introducing the Playwrights Felicia Hardison Londré Introduction Eugene O’Neill (1888–1953) Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) Tennessee Williams (1911–83) Arthur Miller (1915–2005) 4 Eugene O’Neill: Love and Loss of the Soul Zander Brietzke A Touch of the Poet The Iceman Cometh Long Day’s Journey Into Night A Moon for the Misbegotten Conclusion 5 Thornton Wilder: Seeing Beyond Dark Times Felicia Hardison Londré Our Town The Skin of Our Teeth Shadow of a Doubt The Alcestiad Conclusion 6 Tennessee Williams: Experimentation and ‘The Great American Play’ Thomas Keith Early full-length plays Battle of Angels Stairs to the Roof The Glass Menagerie Summer and Smoke A Streetcar Named Desire Conclusion 7 Arthur Miller: The Individual and Social Responsibility Valleri Robinson All My Sons Death of a Salesman The Crucible Conclusion Afterword Felicia Hardison Londré Documents For Such is the Ruling of Broadway Ann Crisp Collecting Eugene O’Neill Lamar Lentz Acting in The Skin of Our Teeth with Helen Hayes Hank Whittemore Tennessee Williams in Ptown: The 1940s and Now David Kaplan Arthur Miller in Brooklyn Heights, 1940–1956 Stephen Marino A Retrospective of Influence Thomas D. Pawley III Notes Bibliography Index Introduction: Living in the 1940s -- Prelude to World War II -- Leaders of the decade -- World War II -- The war's impact on civilian life -- Post-war domestic life and consumerism -- Children -- Teen-agers -- Communications, media, and transportation -- Women and fashion -- The culture -- Cold War anxieties -- 1. The American theatre in the 1940s -- The late 1930s: forebodings of war -- Idiot's delight -- Influential organizations -- It can't happen here -- Broadway plays and musicals -- Radio drama -- The 1940-41 and 1941-42 seasons -- African American theatre -- Broadway plays and musicals -- Lady in the dark -- The American Theatre Wing and other war service organizations -- Radio drama -- The war years, 1942-1943 -- Broadway plays and musicals -- This is the army -- Oklahoma! -- The Paul Robeson Othello -- Post-war theatre, 1946-1950 -- African-American theatre -- Broadway plays and musicals -- Modern dance and theatrical dance -- Tributary theatres -- Directors and producers -- 2. Introducing the playwrights -- Introduction -- Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) -- Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) -- Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) -- Arthur Miller (1915-2005) -- 3. Eugene O'Neill: love and loss of the soul by Zander Brietzske -- A touch of the poet -- The iceman cometh -- Long day's journey into night -- A moon for the misbegotten -- 4. Thornton Wilder: seeing beyond dark times by Felicia Hardison Londre -- Our town -- The skin of our teeth -- Shadow of a doubt -- The alcestiad -- 5. Tennessee Williams: experimentation and "The great American play" by Thomas Keith -- Battle of angels -- Stairs to the roof -- The glass menagerie -- Summer and smoke -- A streetcar named desire -- 6. Arthur Miller: the individual and social responsibility by Valleri J. Robinson -- All my sons -- Death of a salesman -- The crucible -- 7. Documents: A high-school perspective on theatre in 1947 by Ann Crisp; Collecting O'Neill by Lamar Lentz; Acting in The skin of our teeth with Helen Hayes by Hank Whittemore; Tennessee Williams in Provincetown by David Kaplan; Mapping Arthur Miller's Brooklyn by Steven Marino; Retrospective by Thomas D. Pawley III -- Afterword "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 playwrights and their works to receive in-depth coverage in this volume include: * Eugene O'Neill: The Iceman Cometh (1946), A Moon for the Misbegotten (1947), Long Day's Journey Into Night (written 1941, produced 1956), and A Touch of the Poet (written 1942, produced 1958); * Tennessee Williams: The Glass Menagerie (1944), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), Summer and Smoke (1948); * Arthur Miller: All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), and The Crucible (1953); * Thornton Wilder: Our Town (1938), The Skin of Our Teeth (1942), and The Merchant of Yonkers, later rewritten as The Matchmaker and as the musical Hello Dolly!") -- Provided by publisher The Decades of Modern American Playwriting 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. -- Publisher Decades of Modern American Drama' 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 the 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