Playwright A.R. Gurney, 86

"In his hands, the conventions of the drawing-room comedy became the framework for social analysis. ... With its focus on the quirks and barely concealed anxieties of the privileged class, Mr. Gurney's work was often likened to that of the novelist John Cheever and the playwright Philip Barry. His settings were often the stately homes of the well-to-do. His characters included self-satisfied corporate executives, crusty academics, imperious dowagers and bewildered teenagers on the cusp of adulthood."

Article source here:Arts Journal