Typical NPR bushwa.
A flaming homosexual playwright dies of drug abuse in a hotel room. His plays are littered with dysfunctional characters reflecting his own many dysfunctionalities.
Worth a centennial observance? Please.
It’s being observed because he’s endured considerably. His plays are still performed more than any other 20th century American dramatist.
You write this as if it's a bad thing. To the contrary, it made for good drama. What have you offered the world of the written word?