* Tennessee Williams: Known for his exploration of the dark underbelly of American society, with characters grappling with sexuality, mental illness, and the pressures of conformity. His plays like "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" are iconic examples of this style.
* Arthur Miller: Often focused on the moral dilemmas of the individual in a complex society, especially in the face of social and political pressures. Plays like "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible" delve into themes of disillusionment, guilt, and responsibility.
* Eugene O'Neill: While O'Neill's most significant works predate the postwar period, his influence on American psychological realism is undeniable. His plays, like "Long Day's Journey into Night" and "The Iceman Cometh," explored the complex inner lives of characters and their struggles with addiction, family dysfunction, and the search for meaning.
* William Inge: Known for his portrayal of the anxieties and frustrations of ordinary Americans in small towns. Plays like "Picnic" and "Come Back, Little Sheba" offered a realistic depiction of the lives of working-class characters and their struggles with conformity, loneliness, and the search for love.
These playwrights, along with others like Lillian Hellman and Edward Albee, revolutionized American theatre by moving away from sentimental melodrama and towards a more complex and nuanced portrayal of the human experience. Their works, deeply rooted in psychological realism, captured the anxieties, disillusionment, and social upheaval of the post-war era and continue to resonate with audiences today.