The Clouds Macbeth A Doll's House An Inspector Calls Cloudstreet Cat on a Hot Tin Roof The Crucible Fences Angels in America Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Equus God of Carnage Agnes of God Amadeus Brighton Beach Memoirs/Biloxi Blues/Broadway Bound Lettice and Lovage Love! Valour! Compassion! True West The Pillowman I Am My Own Wife The Coast of Utopia The Weir Time Stands Still
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Older/Classics: Hamlet MacBeth Midsummer Night's Dream (my favorite comedy of the bard) Major Barbara Three Sisters The iceman Cometh Death of a Salesman Streetcar Named Desire A Doll's House
Contemp: Angels in America Part 1 and 2 August: Osage County The Pillowman How I Learned to Drive The "Eugene" Trilogy of Neil Simon Orange Flower Water by Craig Wright (I reccomend it to everyone, its a personal favorite) Mamet is a fave playwright, he doesnt read so well. If you are gonnna read him I suggest Glengarry Glen Ross or American Buffalo Fool For Love Noises Off Gypsy (the perfect musical) Red Light Winter
<------ Me and my friends with patti Lupone at my friends afterparty for her concert with audra mcdonald during the summer of 2007.
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
A few years ago, Sondheim called Green Grow the Lilacs a bleak play about homosexuality. The source for Oklahoma, a bleak play about homosexuality? I couldn't wait to read it.
It was so interesting to read Oklahoma in bleak play form. I was surprised to see that many words and images in the musical are also in the play. But even with all those cowboys I didn't see a trace of homosexuality. The point of the story seems to be that the farmer and the cowman should be friends. "Friends?" Hmm.
Raker, that comment has confounded me ever since I read the interview where he said it. I read the original play way back--maybe 15 years back, and my library here doesn't have it so I haven't revisited, but I don't remember any, even particularly subtle homosexuality. I would have almost thought it was a joke from Sondheim except---I'm pretty sure it wasn't.
Joan Roberts said in an interview that to audition, she was asked to read from the play. And she was SHOCKED by the language she would have to use, and told them as much--but they informed her it would stick. But she happily said by the time the musical was open, none of that language was there for her character. I know her take on bad language would be vastly different than mine, but I also don't particularly remember much in the original play.
I think all the major plays, particularly American 20th Century plays have been mentioned. I guess an easy recommendation is to read one of the major works from the "big names"--and then go from there with what you like.
I'd recommend a ton of Williams, but some of his more interesting work like Camino Real is interesting to read if you only know Menagerie or Cat or Streetcar. Pretty much forgotten or dismissed now as a lesser Williams, I'm a huge fan of Inge and I think Picnic and Dark at the Top of the Stairs in particular read well. So does John Guare's House of Blue Leaves, though I suspect others will say it doesn't read well.
A favorite that probably does lose something by reading, since so much of it has to do with the gendered casting, is Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9.