The Night of the Iguana | Essays and Criticism

  • The So-Called "Happy" Ending of Williams's Play

    In this essay, Petrusso examines the so-called "happy" ending of Williams's play via the motivations of its three main characters.

  • Return of the Iguana

    Tueth reviews a 1996 revival production of Williams's play. Comparing the 1961 play to recent revivals of other playwrights' works, the critic found Night of the Iguana to have weathered the decades quite well, calling it a ‘‘beautiful and compassionate play.''

  • Williams as Phoenix

    In this essay, Gilman reviews a 1962 production of Williams's play, stating calling it the playwright's best work since Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Gilman concludes that Night of the Iguana's better points make up for Williams's less stellar dramatic offerings.

  • A Little Night Music

    While Brustein says that Williams's play offers some enjoyment, he ultimately finds Night of the Iguana to be ‘‘too aimless, leisurely, and formless to satisfy’’ a discerning theatregoer.