Setting

Street Scene is a drama that takes place in New York City in contemporary time (the late 1920s). The date is a hot day in June. The action of the play is confined to one location: the exterior of a brownstone tenement that is about thirty years old. The building is somewhat shabby but features a stoop where many of the residents gather to escape the heat and socialize. Also visible are the front windows of several of the apartments, in which residents can be seen or heard. The building is located on a street that features warehouses as well as other housing. By limiting the play to one familiar setting, Rice underscores Street Scene's themes. It emphasizes the characters' social circumstances and how dehumanizing life in New York City can be for those of the lower-middle classes.

Realism

Street Scene is a written as a realistic...