Choice Review

With this extension of his successful and influential Modern American Drama, 1945-1990 (CH, May'93), the first single-volume history of American drama of that period, Bigsby amplifies his earlier coverage of such playwrights as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, David Mamet, Edward Albee, Sam Shepard, Adrienne Kennedy, Wendy Wasserstein, et al. In addition, he adds valuable material about some playwrights whose careers began or blossomed in the 1990s, focusing critically on such matters as sex, gender, and ethnic diversity in the works of dramatists such as Lanford Wilson, John Guare, Richard Nelson, David Rabe, Luis Valdez, Marsha Norman, Maria Irene Fornes, Wallace Shawn, and a host of others whose writings are politically charged. A compelling new chapter, "Beyond Broadway," offers fresh and cogent material on gay drama as represented by writers like Wilson, Tony Kushner, Terrence McNally, and Paula Vogel. Bigsby's knowledge of the field is encyclopedic. His insights are sharp and well reasoned. Replacing the earlier volume, this expanded edition is strongly recommended for public, college, and university libraries. R. B. Shuman emeritus, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign