Arguably Spain's leading playwright of the twentieth century, Antonio Buero-Vallejo published thirty original plays. In the Burning Darkness was the first play he wrote. The seminal, and lasting, significance of this play was confirmed when an extract from it was read over Buero-Vallejo's grave on the day of his burial.

"This masterful translation of four tragedies by Antonio Buero-Vallejo (1916-2000), Spain's most important dramatist since the 1930s, allows English-speaking audiences to experience the most deeply moving and intellectually rich works by one of the twentieth century's great authors. Patricia W. O'Connor complements vivid translations with generous supporting materials, including a reader-friendly introduction to the playwright's life and work, commentaries on the plays, and photographs of productions and playwright." "Buero-Vallejo's emblematic first play, Story of a Stairway (1949), chronicling decades in the lives of struggling Madrid families, catapulted the young author into prominence. Appearing here for the first time in English, Before Dawn (1953) is a whodunit and the riveting odyssey of one woman 's search for truth that recalls Greek tragedy. The Basement Window (1967), an Orwellian science-fiction experiment, portrays the moral climate of the late twentieth century as judged by ethically enlightened researchers of a distant future. In the first English translation of the author's poignantly relevant final play, Mission to the Deserted Village (1999), a wartime attempt to save an El Greco painting raises questions about how much of its own treasure a culture will destroy to keep it out of enemy hands." "Readers who know Buero-Vallejo's plays will celebrate O'Connor's sparkling translations. Those who haven't yet read Buero-Vallejo will find a very moving introduction in this collection."--BOOK JACKET.

With more than 1800 critical entries on the writers and literatures of 33 languages, this work presents the entire range of modern European writing -- from the symbolist and modernist works rooted in the last decades of the nineteenth century; through the avant-garde and existentialist movement to Barthes, Blanchot, Breton, and continental thought pertinent today.

"Eric W. Pennington's book, the latest and one of the best on Buero Vallejo's theater, thoughtfully frames careful analyses with the major theoretical approaches of the last half century. Pennington's knowledge of those theories and his insights into the various artistic influences on Buero's plays are remarkably thorough. Of particular note also is his intelligent, even literary prose---the perfect vehicle for evoking the artistic nuance, historical detail, and human impact of Buero's compelling dramatic achievements." Dr. Robert L. Nicholas, Professor Emeritus of Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Madison --

A Study Guide for Antonio Buero Vallejo's "The Sleep of Reason," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Drama For Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Drama For Students for all of your research needs.