The Politics of Reputation The Critical Reception of Tennessee Williams' Later Plays

The Politics of Reputation researches the critical reception of Tennessee WilliamsOs work to challenge the conventional wisdom that the later plays (1961 to 1983) represent a failure of his creative powers. This book demonstrates that what has been characterized as a failure is in fact a conscious departure from the essentially realistic forms that had established WilliamsOs reputation. This reassessment of WilliamsOs career offers a direct and thorough exploration of the much-neglected later plays and concludes that Williams deserves a central place in American experimental drama.