This second volume of the great Swedish writer August Strindberg’s plays begins with To Damascus I (1898), the first of a trilogy. It mirrors his own departure from the naturalism he had explored in several of his earlier works, as he set forth on a spiritual odyssey. Crimes and Crimes (1899), from the beginning of his symbolist mode, is a lighter take on the themes in To Damascus I. The first of a two-part play, Dance of Death I (1900) depicts a dysfunctional marriage. A Dream Play (1901), which is one of Strindberg’s most influential, shows reality converted into a dream; many critics consider it his greatest play. In 1907, Strindberg founded the Intimate Theater in Stockholm; The Ghost Sonata (1907) and The Pelican (1907), which were written for its opening, are two examples of a chamber play, a genre that Strindberg helped to originate.

August Strindberg (1849–1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter. He wrote over sixty plays.

Evert Sprinchorn is professor emeritus of drama at Vassar College. 

Anna Westerståhl Stenport is associate professor of Scandinavian studies and theater at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.