Who is the greatest American playwright of all-time?- Page 2

Posted: 4/19/07 at 6:28pm

Eugene O'Neill
Tennessee Williams
Arthur Miller
William Inge

Posted: 4/19/07 at 6:55pm

Tenn Williams is my favorite--even though his work seems to go sharply in and out of fashion witht he American public (thankfully it's southern melodrama is firmly *in* right now).

I tend to like his plays that some felt went a bit too extreme--Orpheus Descending (we need the Peter Hall revival with Vanessa Redgrave that was filmed for TV on DVD now--it's stunning) and Sweet Bird of Youth (which has yet to get a decent screen adaptation even though we have two films--the first with the great Broadway perforamnces of Newman and Geraldine preserved but the script so watered down that the happy ending is laughable and the second, from Nicholas Roeg of all people with Liz Taylor is just pure camp).

I think there's even a lot of greatness in some of his later, ill received plays--Vieux Carre (Which i believe had music by the composer of Hair) reads liek it would be damn impossible to stage well but it also reads like a beautiful, scary, dream and has a lot of great moments and I'm particularly fond of Small Craft Warnings (even if gay theorists seem distrubed by its two gay characters) which I did a student production of in college as the young runaway.

Anyway O'Neil probably deserves the name of greatest American playwright--historically especially-- but PERSONALLY (and I *love* O'Neil--was never as keen on Arthur Miller) for my buck it's Tenn Williams. I own the two volume collection of his plays published by Modern American Library and even the lesser ones still read spectacularly IMHO.

I wish some of the great productions of his plays were captured on film (I mean not fiolm adaptations but filmed versions of the stagings)--Elia Kazan's stagings particularly (it was no secret that Kazan helpd Tenn restructure his plays for the better and Tenn blamed Elia for the huge failure of Orpheus Descending on Broadway due to Elia choosing to work on Inge's Dark at the Top of the Stairs instead). To be able to see the Kazan productions of Streetcar, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (again so watered down for film) and of course Camino Real and his brilliant early multimedia take on Sweet Bird would be amazing--do any clips exist?

I also have a huge huge fondness for the undereappreciated WIlliam Inge (who also has a weird chunk of 60s plays that flopped that could stand with some re-evaluation even if Inge trying to be sexually blunt sometimes verges on parody there' sa lot of interest there)--who is often classified as a b level Williams thematically which is unfair. He also hasn't been served all that well by film (Josh Logan did Picnic on Broadway and then made it into a joke of a picture for movies--as Roger Ebert poitns out it seems liek 20 minutes are spent showing kids at the picnic playing--Logan seemed a great stage director--South Pacific as well--but often way too literal for films if Picnic, SPacific and Camelot prove anything). However Inge's output of major plays isn't enough to put him here...

I honestly want to look more into the work of Albee because I onlyr eally know his big 3-4 plays--I know he had a lean period of tremendous flops too

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 6:59pm

I like the classics...

O'Neill
Williams
Inge
Albee
Miller
Wilder

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 7:04pm

Albee has some truly fascinating flops and short one acts that are well worth reading, especially if you can recognize the heavy influence of Beckett in nearly all of his work -- Albee's body of work is really an example of Beckett filtered through an upper class WASP (gay) American perspective and sensibility.

Updated On: 4/19/07 at 07:04 PM

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 7:04pm

I have to agree with those who say Williams, easily not the most "influential" (since it seems we're unanimous in giving that title to O'Neil), but I love his plays the most of anyone who could be considered in the "old school" of American playwrighting. Albee is definatly second on my list.

among the modern playwrights, I particularly enjoy Mamet, Wasserstein, and Stephen Adly Guirgus (who is probably my favorite playwright).

[Testing1232]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 7:32pm

Personal fave- August Wilson

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:16pm

there is no denying that all the names listed in this thread are excellent playwrights. all of them would be found in various anthologies and taught in various theatre literature classes.

but I believe that sticktopriest has the list narrowed down correctly in his first post. and I, too, agree that o'neill can be successfully argued as our country's greatest, though i'm sure there are those who would argue to the death that the title belongs to miller.

my faves are albee and williams with a wicked love for durang.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 8:23pm

Tennesse Williams.

Henry David Hwang loses all points with his rewrite of FLOWER DRUM SONG. I also think John Guarre belongs on that list, Margo. Updated On: 4/19/07 at 08:23 PM

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:10pm

No one has said Neil Simon!?

[nathanlaneismyhero]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:17pm

Funny you should mention Neil. He's my favorite! But some other contenders would be Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lilian Hellman, Edward Albee, and Eugene O'Neill

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:36pm

Have to add Durang to that list, a man who writes truly hilarious plays. I laughed so hard READING a book of his short plays I cried...

[Piercemn]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:38pm

Having directed both A Moon for the Misbegotten and Anna Christie, I definitely think it's Eugene O'Neill, because no other playwright changes your life the way he does. As Colleen Dewhurst once said: "With every other playwright, you ride the rim of the hurricane. With O'Neill, you jump into the eye."

He gives actors and directors the most profound sense of professionalism, because the work becomes such a love affair.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:38pm

Wow, it took a whole page before I saw a black name on this list, and August Wilson came to mind immediately when I saw the subject header.

and as far as I saw, NO women.

and I also thought of Wendy Wasserstein.

And if we're talking about dramatists in general, I would have to say that Gertrude Stein is pretty influential and important, even though she didn't write many plays, but her opera librettos are some of those most important works of modernism in literary history.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:41pm

Fenchurch, i believe Wilson is named on the first page and also a couple other times.

as for me, I admire Wilson more than I actually enjoy his plays (frankly, I find some of them to be an overlong bore)

and Wasserstein is on my list and a few others, I believe. A classy woman with loads of talent.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:45pm

Fenchurch-if you had bothered to read Margo's post, yo uwould've seen that not only is Wasserstein there, but so is Lillian Hellman. And both were repeatedly mentioned afterwards.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 9:50pm

I stand corrected.

Excellent choices from Margo all around of course.

many people have mentioned O'Neil, I agree, but I have yet to see a good production of a Eugene O'Neil play, and I've seen quite a few.

Although I did see a fairly ok production of Ah, Wilderness at a Brooklyn high school, no less. It was truly excellent for a high school show.

Updated On: 4/19/07 at 09:50 PM

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:07pm

"Wow, it took a whole page before I saw a black name on this list, and August Wilson came to mind immediately when I saw the subject header."

um, I mentioned August Wilson in my initial post.

[AC126748]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:12pm

Margo also mentioned Leroi Jones, Adrienne Kennedy and Douglas Turner Ward. Wilson isn't the only black American playwright.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:13pm

As far as taped performances on DVD of O'Neill's work, there are several outstanding productions -- ICEMAN w/ Robards, MOON w/ Robards and Dewhurst, BEYOND THE HORIZON w/ John Housman and Maria Tucci and a few LONG DAYS (the Hepburn/Richardson/Robards/Stockwell is terrific and the Jack Lemmon one has its fans; there's also an excellent Irish production from a few years ago that's shown up on PBS a few times).

As far as live, I've seen several outstanding productions of his plays including at least four LONG DAYS, a couple of MOONs, that very good ANNA CHRISTIE with Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson in the early 90s, a fascinating HAIRY APE from Wooster Group, a couple of EMPEROR JONESes (including one from Wooster Group) and one good HUGHIE w/ Pacino (along with the version PBS filmed with Robards back in the 70s).

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:25pm

Neil Simon is one of the greates playwrights of all time. Why haven't I seen his name anywhere on this thread?

Also, Simon Gray is fantastic.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:46pm

And as far as African American playwrights are concerned, I also considered including (and only omitted for the sake of brevity):

Ed Bullins
Lorraine Hansberry
Ntosake Shange
Zora Neale Hurston
Charles Gordone
Langston Hughes
Richard Wright
Alice Childress
James Baldwin
Lonne Elder
Samm-Art Williams
Anna Deveare Smith
Dael Orlandersmith

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 10:46pm

Uh, no offense, but I don't think Simon is really "one of the greatest playwrights" compared to people like O'Neil, Miller, Albee, Wilson, etc.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 4/19/07 at 11:26pm

My favorite black American playwright, who was my friend and who passed away not too long ago:

John Henry Redwood (The Old Settler)

And if I had to pick my #2 great American playwright it would be someone whom I do not think has been sufficiently recognized for the genius he truly is. Many here may disagree with me, but I think history will serve him well. It is someone who writes satire, the highest form of comedy, though not the best understood or appreciated. Someone who has held the mirror up to our society with both an ascerbic and drole wit:

Christopher Durang

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:40am

"Uh, no offense, but I don't think Simon is really "one of the greatest playwrights" compared to people like O'Neil, Miller, Albee, Wilson, etc."

None taken. And I see your point, but look at all of the classic plays and movies that he has written. The Odd Couple, The Goodbye Girl, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Sunshine Boys, Plaza Suite, California Suite, London Suit, Brighton Beach Mermoirs, Bioloxi Blues, Barefoot in The Park, Lost in Yonkers, Broadway Bound, They're Playing Our Song and many many others. All of those are well known and are all fantastic! I don't see why he wouldn't be considered to be one of the greatest American playwrights.

[nathanlaneismyhero]

Posted: 4/20/07 at 1:43am

"Uh, no offense, but I don't think Simon is really "one of the greatest playwrights" compared to people like O'Neil, Miller, Albee, Wilson, etc."

I disagree. I think that he has several amazing shows that he has written. He truly is a comic genius. NathanLaneStalker mentioned quite a few of his shows, all of which are fantastic plays. But I do agree that Miller, Wilson, Albee, O'Neill, are all amazing playwrights too. Neil is just more of a comedian.