Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (Oct 16, 1888 – Nov 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish playwright August Strindberg. O'Neill's plays were among the first to include speeches in American English vernacular and involve characters on the fringes of society. They struggle to maintain their hopes and aspirations, but ultimately slide into disillusionment and despair. George C. White founded the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut in 1964, Eugene O'Neill is a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame. Less