A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) is among Williams's most renowned plays. Readers may notice similarities between the character Blanche Du Bois and Lady Torrance from Orpheus Descending.

The Kindness of Strangers: The Life of Tennessee Williams (1997) by Donald Spoto is the first comprehensive critical biography of Williams. Spoto delves into the strong connections between Williams's plays and his tumultuous and ultimately tragic life.

Similar to Williams in Orpheus Descending, Canadian author Alice Munro explores the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in her short story "The Children Stay," which is included in Munro's collection The Love of a Good Woman (1998).

Alongside Williams, Eugene O'Neill stands as one of the towering figures in American drama. His play Long Day's Journey into Night, written between 1939 and 1940 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1957, depicts a single day in the tragic lives of the four members of the Tyrone family.

French playwright Jean Anouilh reimagined the Orpheus legend in his 1941 play Eurydice, setting it in 1930s France. Orpheus is portrayed as a young musician eking out a living on the streets, while Eurydice is a young actress touring with a theater troupe. This play is included in Anouilh's collection Five Plays (1991).