American drama of the 20th century Introduction………………………………………………………………………….2 Chapter 1. Foundations of 20th Century American Drama 1.1. The rise of realism and naturalism…………………………………………….…5 1.2. Eugene O’Neill and the birth of serious American theatre……………………..8 Chapter 2. Leading Playwrights and Major Themes 2.1. Tennessee Williams – psychological depth and fragile characters……………..12 2.2. Arthur Miller – the American Dream and social responsibility………………...16 2.3. Edward Albee – absurdism and identity crisis……………………………….....20 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………..…26 References…………………………………………………………………………...29 Appendix………………………………………………………………………….....30