The introduction gives the background of Modern American Drama which is a kind of slow evolution and has taken place in the form of an amalgamation of various schools. It presents the gradual growth of the American dramatic literature right from Eugene O’ Neill up to Edward Albee. This chapter includes the dramatists like Eugene O’ Neill, Maxwell Anderson, Robert Sherwood, Lillian Hellman, Clifford Odets, Philip Barry, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and Edward Albee in order to have an understanding of the overall development of the American dramatic literature.