10 most important American plays?

#1

10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 2:33pm

My professor sent us an email.

Taking a survey for upcoming story. Open to everyone. Would like as many people to respond as possible.

THE TOPIC: Rank the 10 most important AMERICAN plays anyone who cares about theater should have read or seen. No other criterion. This is your personal list. It's subjective. No right or wrong answers. Please submit them in order of most important first, 1 through 10. Musicals are not eligible unless you think the book warrants it on its own merit. Include your name and age (that's important -- and it's not for publication!) Please feel free to respond and forward this email on to your friends, students, fellow actors, etc. The more people who vote, the more interesting the results will be. Thanks in advance.

Updated On: 12/2/09 at 02:33 PM

#2

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 3:00pm

"This is your personal list."

Ahem...

... that being said, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? by Edward Albee.

P

#3

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 3:09pm

"Angels in America" by Tony Kushner. #1 in my opinion.

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#4

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 3:20pm

OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder is #1.

#5

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 3:21pm

I agree with the 6 already mentioned, plus I'll add The Glass Menagerie and Raisin In The Sun.

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....but the world goes 'round

Updated On: 12/2/09 at 03:21 PM

#6

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 3:48pm

1. Long Day's Journey Into Night
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. The Iceman Cometh
4. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
5. Death of a Salesman
6. Joe Turner's Come and Gone
7. You Can't Take It With You
8. The Little Foxes
9. Awake and Sing
10. The Glass Menagerie

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BroadwayEd

#7

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 3:52pm

I will second Angels in America...first thing that popped into my head.

#8

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 4:54pm

Wilson's Fences was the first thing that came to mind.

Angels in America, Our Town, Long Day's Journey Into Night (pretty much everything else previously mentioned)

#9

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 6:35pm

1. The Crucible (Arthur Miller)
2. Our Town (Thornton Wilder)
3. Angels in America (Tony Kushner)
4. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Tennessee Williams)
5. Long Day's Journey Into Night (Eugene O'Neill)
6. Gem of the Ocean (August Wilson)
7. Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller)
8. You Can't Take it With You (Kaufman and Hart)
9. A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams)
10. J.B. (Archibald MacLeish)

Russ - 45

Updated On: 12/4/09 at 06:35 PM

#10

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 7:27pm

I think in terms of general importance, The Crucible and The Laramie Project--of the top of my head--because they both deal with such real American issues that both actors and audience members can identify with.

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Recent Broadway and Off-Broadway:: Carrie, Merrily, Ionescopade
Next On The List :: Clybourne Park, Once, Streetcar, BOM

#11

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 7:53pm

Important plays not mentioned yet.

Picnic. Inge has been unfashionable for a gerneration, and he's on the cusp of a major reappraisal.

'Night Mother

A Moon for the Misbegotten

Buried Child

The Trip to Bountiful

#12

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 8:28pm

In no particular order:
1. Our Town
2. Long Days Journey Into Night
3. Angels in America
4. Torch Song Trilogy
5. The Man Who Came to Dinner
6. Glass Menagerie/Cat on A Hot Tin Roof
7. Death of A Salesman
8. Odd Couple (There has to be one Neil Simon)
9. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
10. Fences

#13

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 8:40pm

Andrew age 23

1) Angels in America
2) Our Town
3) Death of a Salesman
4) A Raisin In The Sun
5) A Streetcar Named Desire
6) Fences
7) The Iceman Cometh
Who's Afriad of Virginia Woolf
9) The Little Foxes
10) You Can't Take It With You

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"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#14

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 10:48pm

Interesting....and thanks.

#15

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 10:52pm

Any list that doesn't include "Our Town" should be ignored!

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Behind the fake tinsel of Broadway is real tinsel.

#16

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 11:02pm

I know this is very recent. However, I do feel that this play is going to be considered an American classic at some point and that play is August:Osage County.

Now, I do understand the importance of having Our Town on the list. Do I like that play. No, not really. However, I do understand why it is important in American theatre history.

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#17

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 11:08pm

Agreed on Our Town. Crucial importance in american theatre history.

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"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#18

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 11:26pm

Eric, 23

I don't think I could possibly put these into any kind of order, so I'm just going to list them off.

Our Town, Angels In America, A Streetcar Named Desire, You Can't Take It With You, A Raisin In The Sun, Doubt, The Crucible, Death Of A Salesman, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

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#19

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/2/09 at 11:31pm

1. Angels in America
2. Our Town
3. Streetcar Named Desire
4. A Raisin in the Sun
5. The Crucible
6. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
7. How I Learned to Drive
8. Brighton Beach Memiors
9. August: Osage County
10. The Dutchman

I understand what August Wilson did for American Theatre and no way am I slighting his work, but when I studied many of the great american plays last semester in class The Dutchman stuck with me more than any of the Wilson plays. Just a preference I guess.

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#20

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/3/09 at 11:02am

This is difficult:

In no particular order (age 47...online age 37)

Our Town
Angels in America
A Streetcar Named Desire
August Osage County
Fences
The Glass Menagerie
All My Sons
Torch Song Trilogy
The House of Blue Leaves
M Butterfly

Honorable Mentions (The Childrens Hour, You Cant Take It With You, Long Days Journey, Brighton Beach Memoirs)

#21

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/3/09 at 5:06pm

What is important about August: Osage County?

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Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

#22

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/3/09 at 5:25pm

August wilson should have at least ONE play on every list. He tells a very specific but IMPORTANT American story.

#23

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/3/09 at 5:29pm

No, tommigyrl, he shouldn't.

And call me whatever you want but if ANYONE else of ANY other ethnicity wrote those plays they would not be as respected as they are. Wilson's legacy has as much to do with who he was and what he did as the content of his plays. You can argue that all you like, but it is true.

Albee is five times the playwright Wilson ever was. Sorry.

P

#24

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/3/09 at 6:26pm

"August Wilson should have at least ONE play on every list. He tells a very specific but IMPORTANT American story."

But does he write a great play, a ten-best great American play?

#25

re: 10 most important American plays?

Posted: 12/3/09 at 6:29pm

"What is important about August: Osage County?"

It's a harrowing, realistic portrayal of modern American life and how burried secrets never stay hidden too long.