Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959), an American playwright noted for his verse dramas, tried to show men living by their beliefs even in a world where evil tends to dominate. Maxwell Anderson was born in Atlantic, Pa., on Dec. 15, 1888. Since his father,...

A teacher, journalist, and poet, Maxwell Anderson brought to the theater of the twentieth century an awareness of contemporary events as well as a poet's depth of feeling and sense of language. Though skilled in writing for the theater of realism, he...

Maxwell Anderson was among the generation of playwrights who changed the world's perception of American drama. Before World War I the usual impression in this country and abroad was that important and exciting theatrical centers were all in Europe, but...

I was struck by Robert Gottlieb’s question in his dance column last week, “How can educated and sophisticated viewers react so differently to a work of art?” Even the best critics sometimes violently disagree, Mr. Gottlieb pointed out evenhandedly, ultimately putting his own preferences for...

New Yorkers who missed The Quilts of Gee's Bend, an exhibition seen at the Whitney Museum of American Art during the winter of 2002-3, should have their collective knuckles soundly rapped. There can't have been an excuse good enough to merit by passing a show...

In the following essay, Jackson discusses Anderson's role in the creation of an indigenous language for American drama.

In the following essay, Orlin traces Anderson's source material for Night over Taos and defends the play against earlier criticism.

In the following essay, Buchanan accounts for Anderson's success with the form of verse tragedy on the American stage.