The aim of this thesis is to present a comprehensive view--a survey--of plays by William Shakespeare that have been produced for the New York stage from 1935 through 1955 in order to ascertain not only the quantity of Shakespearean drama that has been presented during this twenty-one-year period, but also to appraise the quality of the productions as seen by the critics. A related aim of this study will be the analysis of the televised Shakespearean plays by presenting the works and their merits through the eyes of the critics of that medium.