Friedrich Dürrenmatt was a Swiss author and dramatist. The politically active author was a proponent of epic theatre work. His plays reflected the experiences of World War II in avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, or macabre satire, as he discovered dark comedy to be an effective medium to expose the grotesque nature of the human condition.

His breakthrough came with the comedy The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi (Wooly Mammoth Theatre), in which he began formulating his own unique style: a dark, dreamlike world populated by characters who, though frighteningly real, are often distorted into caricature. This evoked strong reactions from Dürrenmatt's audiences and established him as one of the finest European dramatists of his day.

Broadway works include The Physicists (Martin Beck Theatre), The Visit (Morosco Theatre), The Deadly Game (Longacre Theatre), and Romulus (Music Box Theatre). Regional works include Play Strindberg (South Coast Repertory) and The Tunnel (Odyssey Theatre).