We will be reading 5 recent American plays, analyzing them in terms of their literary and theatrical qualities as well as their social and historical contexts. The plays we are looking at are often concerned with contemporary issues such as race, gender, sexual orientation, social and economic class, American politics, and business ethics. They are also concerned with love, family, the nature of theater (on stage and in everyday life), the nature of writing and creativity. We will look at performances of the plays, usually on DVD, talking about how performance can interpret and shape our understanding of plays.