Published in 1953, Picnic is Inge's second Broadway play to be set in the Midwest. The play is concerned with the relationship between a sexually attractive man and a group of lonely women.

Bus Stop, also by Inge, was published in 1955. Instead of a drama, Inge has used Kansas as a setting for a romantic comedy about a small group of people stranded in a snow storm The happy ending of this play is not typical of Inge.

Look Homeward, Angel, a 1929 novel by Thomas Wolfe, is also a realistic depiction of a family relationship, with the central character, Eugene, the son of an alcoholic.

Edward Albee's 1962 play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, examines the brutal and sometimes violent relationship between a husband and wife. As with Inge's play, broken dreams playa pivotal role in the story.

The Lost Weekend, a...