<DIV>The peak of my virtuosity was in the one- act plays. Some of which are like firecrackers on a rope. Tennessee Williams<BR><BR>Tennessee Williams' lesser-known one act plays reveal a tantalising and fascinating perspective to one of the world's most important playwrights.<BR><BR>Written between 1934 and 1980, the plays of the very young writer, then of the successful Tennessee Williams, and finally of the troubled man of the 1970s, this volume offers a panoramic yet detailed view of the themes, demons, and wit of this iconic playwright.<BR><BR>The volume depicts American life during the Great Depression and after, populated by a hopelessly hopeful chorus girl, a munitions manufacturer ensnared in a love triangle, a rural family that deals "justice" on its children, an overconfident mob dandy, a poor couple who quarrel to vanquish despair, a young "spinster" enthralled by the impulse of rebellion, and, in The Magic Tower, a passionate artist and his wife whose youth and optimism are not enough to protect their 'dream marriage.'<BR><BR>This collection gathers some of Williams's most exuberant early work and includes one-acts that he would later expand to powerful full-length dramas: 'The Pretty Trap,' a cheerful take on The Glass Menagerie, and 'Interior: Panic,' a precursor to A Streetcar Named Desire.<BR>Plays included are: <I>At Liberty, </I><I>The Magic </I><I>Tower, </I><I>Me, Vashya, </I><I>Curtains for the Gentleman, </I><I>In Our Profession, </I><I>Every Twenty Minutes, </I><I>Honor the Living, </I><I>The Cast of the Crushed Petunias, </I><I>Moony's Kid Don't Cry, </I><I>The Dark Room, </I><I>The Pretty Trap, </I><I>Interior: Panic, </I><I>Kingdom of Earth, </I><I>I Never Get Dressed Till After Dark on Sundays </I>and <I>Some Problems for The Moose Lodge</I>. The volume also features a foreword by Terence McNally.</DIV>