In the introduction to their edited book The Theatre of Sa’dallah Wannous: A Study of the Syrian Playwright and Public Intellectual, Sonja Mejcher-Atassi and Robert Myers trace the importance of studying the life and works ofSa’dallah Wannous. They argue that for those who care about the role of culture, especially as manifested in literature and theatre in various global traditions, as a key indicator and explicator of the dynamics of societies, it is imperative to examine the work of artist-intellectuals like Wannous as a means of measuring the extent to which theatre and literature still matter today. Through introducing the wide-ranging topics of the chapters of their book, the editors highlight the significance of the thought, work and legacy of Wannous not only in the Arabic tradition and in world literature and theater but also in Arab politics and history, especially in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the recent Arab uprisings.