Abstract

Christopher Durang, a contemporary American playwright who has written over sixteen plays so far, including A History of the American Film, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, and The Marriage of Bette and Boo, writes satiric plays. His objects of satire are mostly institutions of authority, such as the Catholic Church, the family, the educational system, and psychiatry. But many of Durang's plays go beyond satire. In other words, there are moments when satire gives way to dead seriousness and profound sadness. In this thesis I look at eleven of Durang's plays, which I think are the most important plays in terms of my thesis. Also, I pay close attention to the many filmic, literary, and other allusions in Durang's plays, allusions which, along with the balancing of satire and "beyond satire," are a trademark of Durang