A concern with myths is central to the drama of Sam Shepard, one of the leading figures in contemporary American drama and culture. What is the modality of this mythic orientation and its relation to American history and culture? In an attempt to answer this question the writers focus on the recurrent theme of the hope to find order and meaning in the present by coming to terms with the haunting specters of the past in Shepards plays. They look into the visionary quests of Shepards characters for identity in the Old West in relation to the American Dream. Central to their analysis is the...