When Sweet Bird of Youth made its debut in 1959, it received a mixed reception. While some critics thought it was another example of Williams's genius, others saw it as lesser Williams. Both sides, however, generally agreed that Williams's command of language had not diminished, and the play was a box office success. Over time, Sweet Bird of Youth came to be regarded as an example of Williams on the decline.

Walter Kerr of New York Herald Tribune was one critic who praised the play, though like most critics he had some problems with it. He wrote, "There isn't a moment during Sweet Bird of Youth that it isn't seething to explode in the theater's face. Mr. Williams's newest play is a succession of fuses, deliberately—and for the most part magnificently —lighted."

Several critics who liked Sweet Bird of Youth, and even some who...