Plays by August Strindberg: Miss Julia: A Naturalistic Tragedy. Johan August Strindberg; 22 January 1849 - 14 May 1912, was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. Among more than half a hundred plays produced by Strindberg during his lifetime, none has won such widespread attention as "Miss Julia," both on account of its masterful construction and its gripping theme. Whether liking or disliking it, critics have repeatedly compared it with Ibsen's "Ghosts," and not always to the advantage of the latter work. It represents, first of all, its author's most determined and most daring endeavour to win the modern stage for Naturalism. If he failed in this effort, it must be recalled to his honour that he was among the first to proclaim his own failure and to advocate the seeking of new paths.