U.S. Weekly came out with a reading list last year that I loved called "100 Books You Should Read Now."
Rather than come up with a typical "Best 100" list with "Lolita" and "The Grapes of Wrath" on it, they decided to put together a list of books that are relevant to the times we're living in right now.
That, coupled with one of my friends doing a play-reading challenge, inspired me to put together a list of 100 plays I think people should read NOW.
It's nice to start a list like this and not have to worry about not including "Death of a Salesmen" or "The Glass Menagerie."
These plays are either contemporary or classics that don't get enough attention.
Here are my suggestions in no particular order:
1. The American Plan by Richard Greenberg
2. A Fair Country by Jon Robin Baitz
3. The Overwhelming by J.T. Rogers
4. November by David Mamet
5. After Ashley by Gina Gionfriddo
6. The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh
7. Side Man by Warren Leight
8. The Country Club by Douglas Carter Beane
9. Match by Stephen Belber
10. Dying City by Christopher Shinn
11. Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan
12. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis
13. The Credeaux Canvas by Keith Bunin
14. The Busy World is Hushed by Keith Bunin
15. Some Men by Terrence McNally
16. The Nina Variations by Steven Dietz
17. Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton
18. The Guys by Anne Nelson
19. The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? by Edward Albee
20. Three Days of Rain by Richard Greenberg
21. A Steady Rain by Keith Huff
22. Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall
23. Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam
24. Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg
25. Back, Back, Back by Itmar Moses
26. Doris to Darlene by Jordan Harrison
27. The Retreat from Moscow by William Nicholson
28. The Long Christmas Ride Home by Paula Vogel
29. The Ruby Sunrise by Rinne Groff
30. Man from Nebraska by Tracy Letts
31. Frozen by Bryony Lavery
32. A Dance Lesson by David Wiltse
33. Beautiful Child by Nicky Silver
34. Wake up and Smell the Coffee by Eric Bogosian
35. The Violet Hour by Richard Greenberg
36. Thom Pain (based on nothing) by Will Eno
37. Sin (A Cardinal Deposed) by Michael Murphy
38. Say You Love Satan by by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
39. Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage
40. The Shaker Chair by Adam Bock
41. Privilege by Paul Weitz
42. Three Funerals by Jeffrey Hatcher
43. Mr. Marmalade by Noah Haidle
44. Manuscript by Paul Grellong
45. The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow by Rolin Jones
46. Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
47. Iphigenia 2.0 by Charles Mee
48. Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Jeffrey Hatcher
49. The Voysey Inheritance by Harley Granville-Barker, adapted by David Mamet
50. Shining City by Conor McPherson
51. Regrets Only by Paul Rudnick
52. On the Line by Joe Roland
53. Measure for Pleasure by David Grimm
54. The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane
55. Dog Sees God by Bert V. Royal
56. Darwin in Malibu by Crispin Whittell
57. The Young Man from Atlanta by Horton Foote
58. The Kentucky Cycle by Robert Schenkkan
59. Things We Want by Jonathan Marc Sherman
60. Scarcity by Lucy Thurber
61. The Pain and the Itch by Bruce Norris
62. Murderers by Jeffrey Hatcher
63. No Child... by Nilaja Sun
64. My Name is Rachel Corrie taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner
65. Blackbird by David Harrower
66. Three Changes by Nicky Silver
67. The Piano Teacher by Julia Cho
68. Opus by Michael Hollinger
69. The New Century by Paul Rudnick
70. The Language of Trees by Steven Levenson
71. Good Boys and True by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
72. Fifty Words by Michael Weller
73. Distracted by Lisa Loomer
74. 100 Saints You Should Know by Kate Fodor
75. Farragut North by Beau Willimon
76. The Scene by Theresa Rebeck
77. Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck
78. The Drunken City by Adam Bock
79. All Hail Hurricane Gordo by Carly Mensch
80. The Unseen by Craig Wright
81. dark play or stories for boys by Carlos Murillo
82. The As If Body Loop by Ken Weitzman
83. The Second Death of Priscilla by Russell Davis
84. The Faculty Room by Bridget Carpenter
85. Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp
86. Amy's View by David Hare
87. Never the Sinner by John Logan
88. Ruined by Lynn Nottage
89. God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza
90. The Little Flower of East Orange: A Play by Stephen Adly Guirgis
91. Dividing the Estate by Horton Foote
92. The Seafarer by Conor McPherson
93. The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh
94. Travesties by Tom Stoppard
95. The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard
96. Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies
97. The History Boys by Alan Bennett
98. Port Authority by Conor McPherson
99. Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller
100. The Forest by Alexander Ostrovsky
Rather than come up with a typical "Best 100" list with "Lolita" and "The Grapes of Wrath" on it, they decided to put together a list of books that are relevant to the times we're living in right now.
That, coupled with one of my friends doing a play-reading challenge, inspired me to put together a list of 100 plays I think people should read NOW.
It's nice to start a list like this and not have to worry about not including "Death of a Salesmen" or "The Glass Menagerie."
These plays are either contemporary or classics that don't get enough attention.
Here are my suggestions in no particular order:
1. The American Plan by Richard Greenberg
2. A Fair Country by Jon Robin Baitz
3. The Overwhelming by J.T. Rogers
4. November by David Mamet
5. After Ashley by Gina Gionfriddo
6. The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh
7. Side Man by Warren Leight
8. The Country Club by Douglas Carter Beane
9. Match by Stephen Belber
10. Dying City by Christopher Shinn
11. Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan
12. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis
13. The Credeaux Canvas by Keith Bunin
14. The Busy World is Hushed by Keith Bunin
15. Some Men by Terrence McNally
16. The Nina Variations by Steven Dietz
17. Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton
18. The Guys by Anne Nelson
19. The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? by Edward Albee
20. Three Days of Rain by Richard Greenberg
21. A Steady Rain by Keith Huff
22. Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall
23. Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam
24. Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg
25. Back, Back, Back by Itmar Moses
26. Doris to Darlene by Jordan Harrison
27. The Retreat from Moscow by William Nicholson
28. The Long Christmas Ride Home by Paula Vogel
29. The Ruby Sunrise by Rinne Groff
30. Man from Nebraska by Tracy Letts
31. Frozen by Bryony Lavery
32. A Dance Lesson by David Wiltse
33. Beautiful Child by Nicky Silver
34. Wake up and Smell the Coffee by Eric Bogosian
35. The Violet Hour by Richard Greenberg
36. Thom Pain (based on nothing) by Will Eno
37. Sin (A Cardinal Deposed) by Michael Murphy
38. Say You Love Satan by by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
39. Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage
40. The Shaker Chair by Adam Bock
41. Privilege by Paul Weitz
42. Three Funerals by Jeffrey Hatcher
43. Mr. Marmalade by Noah Haidle
44. Manuscript by Paul Grellong
45. The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow by Rolin Jones
46. Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
47. Iphigenia 2.0 by Charles Mee
48. Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Jeffrey Hatcher
49. The Voysey Inheritance by Harley Granville-Barker, adapted by David Mamet
50. Shining City by Conor McPherson
51. Regrets Only by Paul Rudnick
52. On the Line by Joe Roland
53. Measure for Pleasure by David Grimm
54. The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane
55. Dog Sees God by Bert V. Royal
56. Darwin in Malibu by Crispin Whittell
57. The Young Man from Atlanta by Horton Foote
58. The Kentucky Cycle by Robert Schenkkan
59. Things We Want by Jonathan Marc Sherman
60. Scarcity by Lucy Thurber
61. The Pain and the Itch by Bruce Norris
62. Murderers by Jeffrey Hatcher
63. No Child... by Nilaja Sun
64. My Name is Rachel Corrie taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner
65. Blackbird by David Harrower
66. Three Changes by Nicky Silver
67. The Piano Teacher by Julia Cho
68. Opus by Michael Hollinger
69. The New Century by Paul Rudnick
70. The Language of Trees by Steven Levenson
71. Good Boys and True by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
72. Fifty Words by Michael Weller
73. Distracted by Lisa Loomer
74. 100 Saints You Should Know by Kate Fodor
75. Farragut North by Beau Willimon
76. The Scene by Theresa Rebeck
77. Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck
78. The Drunken City by Adam Bock
79. All Hail Hurricane Gordo by Carly Mensch
80. The Unseen by Craig Wright
81. dark play or stories for boys by Carlos Murillo
82. The As If Body Loop by Ken Weitzman
83. The Second Death of Priscilla by Russell Davis
84. The Faculty Room by Bridget Carpenter
85. Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp
86. Amy's View by David Hare
87. Never the Sinner by John Logan
88. Ruined by Lynn Nottage
89. God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza
90. The Little Flower of East Orange: A Play by Stephen Adly Guirgis
91. Dividing the Estate by Horton Foote
92. The Seafarer by Conor McPherson
93. The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh
94. Travesties by Tom Stoppard
95. The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard
96. Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies
97. The History Boys by Alan Bennett
98. Port Authority by Conor McPherson
99. Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller
100. The Forest by Alexander Ostrovsky
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