Shawn's later plays are more overtly political, drawing parallels between his characters' psychology and the behavior of governments and social classes. Among the best-known of these are "Aunt Dan and Lemon" (1985) and "The Designated Mourner" (1997). Shawn's political work has invited controversy, as he often presents the audience with several contradictory points of view. He has called "Aunt Dan and Lemon" a cautionary tale against fascism. Shawn's monologue "The Fever", originally meant to be performed for small audiences in apartments, depicts a person who becomes sick while struggling to find a morally consistent way to live when faced with injustice, and harshly criticizes the United States' record in supporting oppressive anti-communist regimes. In 1997, Shawn discussed the political nature of "Aunt Dan and Lemon", "The Fever" and "The Designated Mourner" in an interview in which he talked extensively about the thematic connections among them, as well as his own views on Marxist, communist and socialist politics, their relevance to American liberalism, and how governmental and individual responsibilities for finding solutions to the dichotomy between rich and poor in the world take hold in his characters. "Aunt Dan and Lemon" earned Shawn his second Obie Award for excellence in playwrighting in 1986, and "The Fever" won Best American Play in 1991. Three of Shawn's plays have been adapted into films: "The Designated Mourner" (basically a film version of David Hare's stage production), "Marie and Bruce" and "The Fever". Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave stars in "The Fever" (2004), which first aired on HBO on June 13, 2007.