10 most important American plays? — Page 2

Wah, no votes for The Iceman Cometh?

fwiw, I agree with many of the common suggestions, especially Angels in America, Our Town, Streetcar, and the Crucible.

I also want to throw out a dark horse: The Kentucky Cycle.

Won the Pulitzer, was a critical rave in Seattle, LA, and DC; bombed here in Gotham -- i'd say inexplicably, but i suspect it's lack of success on Broadway actually can be explained.

Brilliant drama chronicling key themes in American mythology across almost three centuries.

Though, technically it's 9 plays. (Whatever -- Angels is 2!)

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OK, here it goes, (and f*ck ten):

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Seascape (the 3 act version)
Lolita (oh yes, let's fight about it)
The Children's Hour
The Normal Heart
Angels In America
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
A Streetcar Named Desire
Suddenly, Last Summer
The Glass Menagerie
Angels In America
Glengarry Glen Ross
The Adding Machine
Home of The Brave (we can fight about this too)
Long Day's Journey Into Night
The Skin of Our Teeth
Bus Stop
Death of a Salesman (begrudgingly)

P

Important about August Osage County? I thought it was beautifully written (and performed) and dealt with many issues Americans deal with Alcoholism, Monogamy, Suicide, Addition, Control. I guess to me it seems like a reflection of reality. That is why I would put it among the most important american plays.

I thought it was interesting that you mentioned August: Osage County and not say--The House of Blue Leaves or M Butterfly. These are shows that I found important.

I don't know if I would consider House of Blue Leaves on a list of 10 Most Important Plays, but I adore it. Even though it has that mid 60s/early 70s time setting and sensibility, the way the characters strive for love, fame and contentment and are continually thwarted and humiliated by their dreams has a lot to say about American life, especially as celebrity culture has become even more pervasive since Guare wrote that play.

Minority opinion and I expect to be flamed for this, but I think August: Osage County is a ludicrously stupid play, though beautifully staged and performed. M. Butterfly I think too seemed better than it was due to John Dexter's highly charged and wildly theatrical original production. On rereading, I don't think it holds up all that well.

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Bryan 26

1- Angels in America
2- Long Day's Journey Into Night
3- Fences
4- The Crucible
5- Our Town
6- Doubt
7- A Streetcar Named Desire
8- Lost in Yonkers
9- The Kentucky Cycle
10- August: Osage County

I didn't like August: Osage County. I thought it was shallow, artificial, and completely implausible from beginning to end, so why bother.

If indeed the criteria is 'important' as opposed to 'well-crafted' or 'entertaining', I think some of my favorites would not be on it. "A Raisin in the Sun" is a more important play than "Fences" or "Doubt", I would say. I believe that for a play to be on the list of most important it should have in some way changed the way theater was viewed up to that point. That's a pretty tall order, but with that in mind, my list would be:

1) Our Town
2) The Iceman Cometh
3) Death of A Salesman
4) The Children's Hour
5) A Streetcar Named Desire
6) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
7) A Raisin in the Sun
The Glass Menagerie
9) Angels in America
10) Marat Sade