Orpheus Descending, a play written by Tennessee Williams, was first performed in New York City in 1957. This work, published by Dramatist's Play Service and still available in print, was introduced to audiences in 1958. At the time, Williams was already a celebrated playwright, known for his successes with The Glass Menagerie (1944), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), and other notable plays. Despite his established reputation, Orpheus Descending faced severe criticism and was largely deemed a failure. Williams had invested over seventeen years in developing this play. The earliest iteration, originally titled Battle of Angels, was first staged in 1940. Following its near-universal rejection by critics, Williams revised it five times, ultimately reimagining it as a contemporary take on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth.

Orpheus Descending tells the story of a young, magnetic musician who arrives in a small, oppressive southern town. He becomes involved with a passionate woman trapped in an unhappy marriage and burdened by a tragic history. The play explores several of Williams's recurring themes: isolation and yearning, sexuality and repression, and the quest for freedom. Violence simmers just beneath the surface, erupting dramatically at the play's conclusion. Rich in imagery, poetic language, and symbolism, the play is now regarded as one of Williams's more substantial works, though perhaps not on par with his greatest masterpieces.