During World War II (1939-1945) the American plays dealt with (trattarono) the themes of escapism (fuga) or of wartime propaganda (propaganda di guerra). With the end of conflict, Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) emerged with his realistic plays full of pathos.
Most of his works are set (hanno luogo) in the South, but they rise (si elevano) above regionalism to approach (avvicinarsi) universal themes – they won the an international audience and worldwide acclaim (applauso). He won two Pulitzer Prizes and four New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards. T. Williams’ dramas were mined (minati) from the playwright’s own life: alcoholism, depression, loneliness, and insanity. Besides he had to admit to himself and to the world he was homosexual – in a period unfriendly to homosexuality. Most of Williams’s most memorable characters, are female and contain recognizable elements of their author, while the male figures (figure maschili) are modelled on his own father who tormented Williams during his childhood.