They are full of the perception of life as it is, and the passion for life as it ought to be, which have made
The Glass Menagerie and
A Streetcar Named Desire classics of the American theater.
Only one of these plays (
The Purification) is written in verse, but in all of them the approach to character is by way of poetic revelation. Whether Williams is writing of derelict roomers in a New Orleans boarding house (
The Lady of Larkspur Lotion) or the memories of a venerable traveling salesman (
The Last of My Solid Gold Watches) or of delinquent children (
This Property is Condemned), his insight into human nature is that of the poet. He can compress the basic meaning of life-its pathos or its tragedy, its bravery or the quality of its love-into one small scene or a few moments of dialogue.
Mr. Williams's views on the role of the little theater in American culture are contained in a stimulating essay, "Something wild...," which serves as an introduction to this collection.
About the author:
Thomas Lanier Williams III, better known by the nickname Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright of the twentieth century who received many of the top theatrical awards for his work.
He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948 and for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955.
These two plays were later filmed, with great success. Both plays included references to elements of Williams' life such as homosexuality, mental instability, and alcoholism.
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