A play is a form of literature that is usually intended to be performed upon the stage. Even if don't have the opportunity to see the greatest plays of all time performed upon the stage by a talented troupe (a group of theatrical performers), these plays are important works in literature. This list represents just a few of the plays throughout history with which you should be familiar.
1. Arcadia - Tom Stoppard
Arcadia is one of the most amazing modern plays, if not (as I believe) one of the greatest plays of all time. Written by Tom Stoppard, the play carries us back and forth through time, as we discover something about history, literature, and more than just a little bit about ourselves.
2. The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov is the famous Russian writer, who is famous for The Cherry Orchard, along with other works like Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, and The Seagull. The Cherry Orchard is often considered one of his most important contributions to world literature.3. The Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller
The Death of a Salesman is a play by Arthur Miller. When the play premiered, it was an immediate success--awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for the Best Play. Featuring Willy Loman,
The Death of a Salesman has been seen as an attack on the American dream.
The Death of a Salesman is one of the works for which Arthur Miller became most famous, bringing him international acclaim.
4. A Doll's House - Henrik Ibsen
A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, was published in 1879. The play delves into the realm of realism, with Ibsen's concern for women's rights. The play has been compared with Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening.5. Medea - Euripides
Medea is one of the most horrific plays in history, even though it comes to us from the ancient Greek dramatist, Euripides.
Medea was first produced in 431 BC. The protagonist is Medea, a woman scorned, who revenges herself on Jason (her former husband) in the most sickening manner imaginable.
6. Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King)
Oedipus Rex (
Oedipus the King) is a famous Greek tragedy by the dramatist, Sophocles. Oedipus is fated to murder his father and marry his mother. He attempts to run away from the awful prophecy, but he only succeeds in hastening his own downfall.
7. Our Town - Thornton Wilder
Our Town is an important American play by Thornton Wilder. This 3-act play is one of the most frequently performed American plays; and the work is often studied in the classroom.
8. Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw's play, Pygmalion, first appeared in 1912. The play centers around Eliza Doolittle, who is transformed into a lady. The play is based on the classical legend from Ovid's Metamorphoses about Pygmalion, who falls in love with his own sculpture, Galatea. In the myth, Venus/Aphrodite gives life to the statue.A Streetcar Named Desire is a famous and controversial play by Tennessee Williams (1911-1983). Written in 1951,
A Streetcar Named Desire features rape and the descent of a woman into insanity. Blanche Dubois relies on "the kindness of strangers," only to find herself taken away at the end. She's no longer a young girl; and she has no hope. She represents some bit of the Old South fading away. The magic is gone. All that's left is brutal, ugly reality.
10. Waiting for Godot - Samuel Beckett
Waiting for Godot is an important play by Samuel Beckett, an Irish novelist, poet, and dramatist. This absurdist drama was originally written in French, and translated to English in 1954. The play depicts the meaninglessness of life--with its repetitive plot, where nothing much happens.
