Contemporary American Playwrights

Christopher Bigsby explores the works and influences of ten contemporary American playwrights: John Guare (House of Blue Leaves), Tina Howe (Museum and Approaching Zanzibar), Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America), Emily Mann (Anulla: An Autobiography and Having Our Say), Richard Nelson (An American Comedy), Marsha Norman (The Secret Garden), David Rabe (In the Boom Boom Room), Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel (Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief), Wendy Wasserstein (The Sisters Rosenzweig), and Pulitzer Prize winner Lanford Wilson (Talley’s Folly). Bigsby examines, in some detail, the developing careers of some of America’s most fascinating and original dramatic talent. In addition to well-known works, Bigsby discusses some of the latest plays to reach the stage. This lively and accessible book, by one of the leading writers on American theatre, will be of interest to students, scholars and general theatre-goers alike.

• Major new book by one of the most successful authors on the theatre list • Examines specially selected group of ten of the most important and active American playwrights today • Accessibly written - for students and theatre-goers alike

Introduction; 1. John Guare; 2. Tina Howe; 3. Tony Kushner; 4. Emily Mann; 5. Richard Nelson; 6. Marsha Norman; 7. David Rabe; 8. Paula Vogel; 9. Wendy Wasserstein; 10. Lanford Wilson; Index.