Turrini's theatre works extend far beyond their Austrian origins in expressing the hopes, frustrations, and hypocrisies of life in the modern world. The plays contained in this volume -- A Crazy Day, Joseph and Mary, A Social Engagement, and The Slackers -- offer English-speaking readers a representative sampling of Turrini's work. As varied as they may seem, two unifying threads run through them all: Turrini's use of language to admonish society and his articulation of the element of tragedy which informs and defines modern man in his isolation.