Written for performance rather than publication, plays have been the most ephemeral of literary texts.  Only the most noteworthy are published, and those only rarely in enough quantity and with effective enough distribution to ensure a perpetual literary presence in libraries and the critical memory.  The rest are consigned to obscure archives at best, oblivion at worst.  As a remedy for this lamentable state of affairs, this Web site is extraordinarily valuable.  Scheduled to comprise 1,200 plays, it now provides the full texts of more than 500 by 125 playwrights and useful biographic, bibliographic, and production notes (including replications of playbills, etc.).  Authors include major contemporary figures (e.g., Ed Bullins, Amiri Baraka), earlier canonized writers (Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston), and a host of obscure figures.  Though dominated by American writers, the scope also encompasses contemporary African and Caribbean authors, including some relevant white African playwrights (e.g., Athol Fugard).  Most of the published plays are unavailable in print (and about 20 percent were never published), making the site as much a true archive as a publishing portal.  All of the plays were selected to correspond to major academic bibliographies. 

Beyond its textual content, however, the features that most distinguish this site are its flexible, detailed, and comprehensive search features, indexing, and cross-links.  Virtually every conceivable element or aspect of each play (characters, themes, scenes, dates of composition, productions, etc.) is indexed in detail for historical references, personal events, sexual orientation, and geographic location.  Combined with the elegantly simple yet powerful search templates, this detailed indexing permits one to accomplish marvels.  Equally impressive is sensible placement of cross-links throughout.