This volume examines over 35 plays from pivotal playwrights from the 1700's to the present day by providing in-depth critical analysis of each work, including its historical context and meaning. Works from over 20 authors like Lorraine Hansberry, T.S. Eliot, Samuel Beckett, Anton Chekov, and more are critiqued. Each essay, written by a literary scholar, offers readers invaluable insight into the author's oeuvre.