This volume investigates the critical reception and cultural impact of theatrical productions staged in New York City during the 1997-1998 season. The author, C. S. Smith, compiles and contextualizes a series of professional reviews to document the artistic trends, performance standards, and commercial viability of Broadway and Off-Broadway works from this specific period. The text serves as a historical record, utilizing primary source journalism to analyze the evolution of dramatic criticism at the turn of the millennium.

Scholars and theater historians frequently utilize this compilation as a primary reference for tracking the critical consensus of late-nineties productions. Experts note that the text provides an objective look at the journalistic standards of the era, making it a useful resource for those researching the history of the American stage.