Langdon Mitchell is known primarily for his comedy The New York Idea, which premiered in New York in 1906. An extraordinary comedy of manners which satirizes the American way of marriage and divorce, the play boasts witty dialogue, vital characters, and strokes of theatrical genius. Acted superbly by an ensemble that included Minnie Maddern Fiske and Marion Lea (Mitchell's wife), the play has survived the test of time, having been produced in several successful revivals and included in no less than twelve anthologies of American plays. Although most readers and playgoers probably associate Mitchell's name with only The New York Idea, his literary works, though few in number, included dramatizations of novels, original plays, essays, and poems.

Early in his career, Mitchell's plays were regarded as harbingers of a new, tough, taut dramaturgy for the American theatre. The critical reception of his work was generally favorable, with praise heaped...