'Playboys of the Western World is a model of contemporary performance studies.'
'The book is remarkably well-focused: half is a series of production histories of Playboy performances through the twentieth century in the UK, Northern Ireland, the USA, and Ireland. The remainder focuses on one contemporary performance, that of Druid Theatre, as directed by Garry Hynes. The various contemporary social issues that are addressed in relation to Synge's play and this performance of it give the volume an additional interest: it shows how the arts matter.'

Acknowledgements ¿ List of Illustrations ¿ Adrian Frazier: Introduction ¿ PLAYBOYS OF THE PAST ¿ Paige Reynolds: The First Playboy ¿ Ophelia Byrne: Belfast Said `No¿ to The Playboy ¿ John P. Harrington: The Playboy IN the Western World: J. M. Synge¿s Play in America ¿ Adrian Frazier: `Quaint Pastoral Numbskulls¿: Siobhán McKennäs Playboy Film ¿ Nicholas Grene: Two London Playboys: Before and After Druid ¿ Roundtable Discussion with Garry Hynes ¿ PLAYBOY 2004: EIGHT VIEWS ¿ Ophelia Byrne: Terrible Truths, of our own making ¿ Adrian Frazier: Postmodern Paddywhackery ¿Nicholas Grene: Redesigning The Playboy ¿ John P. Harrington: Poetry, Romance, Clay, Worms ¿ Mary C. King: Gallous Stories and Dirty Deeds ¿ Bill Mc Cormack: Notes from the Borderland ¿ Lionel Pilkington: The Playboy of the Western World as Cultural Event ¿ Paige Reynolds: Separate Spheres and Celebrity Casting ¿ Index ¿ Contributors.