This article is a list of the best three-hander plays for actors. These plays represent some of the most brilliant, engaging and highly-regarded stage works for three actors; we have included a short description of each, as well as our reasons for the play’s inclusion.

Before we jump into the list itself, here’s a little disclaimer about our choices—which you may remember from our similar collection of best two-hander plays. This list of the best three-hander plays is the opinion of none other than the StageMilk team, and we bear full responsibility for any joy/confusion/derision/pain our choices might elicit. If you agree with our choices, want to add to the list or loudly protest all ten selections (it is the internet, after all), feel free to comment or send us a message on social media. As always, we’ll take the silver lining of being able to discuss theatre with passionate people!

No Exit (1944) by Jean-Paul Sartre

“Hell is other people.” Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist masterpiece is the perfect distillation of what a good three-hander can be. No Exit’s characters find themselves trapped together in hell, in a room they are unable to leave. At first, they seem to weather this (seemingly) tame version of eternal damnation … but soon, guilt, shame and anger catch up with them as their sins are brought to light. Further complications arise in the form of a love triangle: each character’s intended utterly despises them, damning them to further anguish in the existence they have to share.

No Exit is perhaps the most famous work we’ve included on this list. And yet it’s often dismissed by actors for study or performance for exactly this reason: it’s too “old” or “classic” or “canon” to be of any real dramatic worth in contemporary society. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. No Exit is a sharp, economical thriller with characters who feel so real despite the absurdity of their shared situation. Take a chance on this one, and you’ll see why it is such a lauded piece of modern drama.

Play (1962-1963) by Samuel Beckett

“Front centre, touching one another, three identical grey urns. From each a head protrudes, the neck held fast in the urn’s mouth.” A man, a woman and the ‘other woman’ detail their entanglement in an affair. They speak in rapid bursts—sometimes over one another—in a way that filters the plot and characters into mere abstractions. On the last page of the script comes the incredible stage direction of “REPEAT PLAY”. The action and the story begins again—much like the cycle of love and passion and loss that fuels all infidelity.

Play is the kind of work you usually encounter in drama school as an exercise and promptly forget about. But it is worth any actor’s time for the deftness of the writing and how these three strange representations of characters are so completely wrought—urns and all. As part of the Beckett On Film series (2000), British director Anthony Minghella helmed a brilliant adaptation (featuring Alan Rickman) that is worth a Google and a watch.

Old Times (1971) by Harold Pinter

It begins simply enough: married couple Kate and Deeley discuss Kate’s friend Anna who is coming to stay. Anna’s relationship with Kate seems strange, or at least strained; Deeley can’t believe he’s never met her before. But when Anna arrives, murky recollections of the past suggest a web of moments shared between the three of them—none of which they can seem to agree on. In the peculiar climax of the piece, Anna declares to Kate “I remember you dead”, after finding her corpse in the little house they shared, twenty years past.

Confused? So are we. So is everyone! There are numerous theories as to what Old Times means, including split personalities, ghosts and even fractured timelines. Such is the genius of Harold Pinter‘s brilliant, streamlined puzzle of a show. It subverts, it delights and it will surely keep us engaged with its themes and characters for many years to come.

Unveiling (1975) by Václav Havel

Unveiling is one-act comedy by Václav Havel: beloved Czech statesman, activist, artist and Frank Zappa superfan (seriously, look this up). Considered ‘part two’ of his Vaněk trilogy, it places the protagonist—a stand-in for Havel—in the living room of bourgeois couple Vera and Michael. The couple seem desperate to impress and spoil their guest, displaying their modern art and collection of American music. Vera and Michael’s talking is near-constant, cyclical and absurd; as the piece progresses they begin to break down, begging forgiveness from Vaněk for their complicity in the Communist regime that saw his own life as a playwright destroyed.

The play is an angry, embittered admonishment of class and political indifference by Havel—whose own persecution during Soviet oppression was extreme. That being said, it’s absolutely hilarious: productions of it are exceedingly rare, but it is worth tracking down the text and becoming immersed in its excellent use of language. It is sometimes translated in English as “A Private Viewing”.

This Is Our Youth (1996) by Kenneth Lonergan

One of the better known plays on this list, Kenneth Longergan’s exploration of adolescence in Reagan’s America is a darling of graduation showcases in drama schools around the world. That’s not to say the play itself isn’t worth reading, performing and falling in love with. The plot, involving two privileged young friends, a girl that captures their interest and a stolen sum of $15,000, is largely there to keep the incredible interactions of the characters humming along. Are they vapid, self-absorbed and (at times) incredibly foolish? Sure. But we defy you not to love them all.

This Is Our Youth plays a lot like a Neil Simon comedy. Its complex underpinnings around adolescent anxiety in an age of materialism elevates it beyond simple battles of wit between ‘young kids these days’. This Is Our Youth is a deceptively deep and nuanced work, and a hell of a ride at that.

The Boston Marriage (1999) by David Mamet

David Mamet has written a vast array of brilliant works for small ensembles of two, three or four performers. While the obvious choice for this list might have been his breakout hit American Buffalo (1975), we have instead decided to single out The Boston Marriage for its acerbic wit and brilliantly crafted female characters. Anna and Claire are a formidable double act, and the frankness with which Mamet portrays a lesbian relationship at the start of the 20^th century marks it as a surprisingly forward-thinking work of queer theatre.

The Boston Marriage plays out as a drawing room farce; however, it brings depth and warmth to two characters whose likeable qualities are in short supply (the third character, their maid Catherine, spends much of the play in tears from their rebukes). The language is rich, and yet economical, the plot is simple, and yet affecting. The play is lesser known, and yet one of the author’s finest works. Look it up: you’ll have a blast.

The Brothers Size (2006) by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Ogun Size is trying to help his younger brother Oshoosi back onto his feet after a stint in prison. Oshoosi is less concerned with a normal life than he is the prospect of owning a car—a symbol and means of freedom so long denied to him. The situation is complicated by the arrival of Oshoosi’s former cellmate and lover Elegba, whose persistent  disregard for a straight life puts the three characters into increasingly fraught situations.

The Brothers Size is a perfect example of concentrated storytelling—everything you could hope to find in a good three-hander. Despite its masterful sense of focus, its themes are numerous and momentous and never once feel like a reach from the author. Ogun, Oshoosi and Elegba are simply dealing with the here-and-now of their lives, doing their best to navigate all that the world throws at them.

The Aliens (2010) by Annie Baker

Annie Baker has a number of impressive plays to her name: Body Awareness, Circle Mirror Transformation and The Flick (which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2014). Among them is The Aliens: a love letter to oddball male friendships in small, nowhere towns. The play takes place in an alley behind a coffee shop. Its two central characters, Jasper and KJ, talk art and music and bullshit as they avoid all responsibilities of life. According to the author, “at least one-third of the play should be silent, uncomfortably so”. And much of The Aliens is exactly that—silent and uncomfortable.

But it’s compelling. When so much of the play is nothing, every moment of ‘something’ means the world; high schooler Evan emerges from the coffee shop and strikes up a strange friendship with the two older boys. Their exchanges feel so natural and unforced. Look past Baker’s trademark silences and find the beauty in this understated masterpiece. And you’ll soon recognise the heights this young author would one day reach in later plays.

The Bleeding Tree (2014) by Angus Cerini

When it burst onto the Australian theatre scene in 2014, Angus Cerini’s story of a mother and her daughters took out a top literary prize and enjoyed a rash of brilliant productions across the country. The subject matter is severe—it’s often described as a ‘murder ballad’ refit for the stage—but the characters are compelling and the story of their attempt to get away with murder keeps you immediately engaged.

While The Bleeding Tree shines in performance, it’s fair to say the play on the page is no easy read. There’s no character description, no mention of who says what, just brilliant fragments of thought and speech such as: “With a bullet through your neck, numbskull of yours never looked so fine.” It’s a challenge for actors to realise, but a damn rewarding one at that. Focused, yet epic, it’s a story of domestic violence and the fallout of toxic masculinity we’re bound to tell again and again.

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So here’s the thing. I know for a fact that there are a million lists on the internet telling you about all the contemporary American plays you should read, but here’s the thing. I can almost guarantee you that all those lists will be the same 10, 15, 20 plays because they have been deemed must-reads by someone somewhere. But what I wanted to do for you, you’re welcome, is compile a list of plays you probably won’t see on a list. A list of plays that you would otherwise have to spend an hour googling before you even knew that it existed. I read a lot of plays, and I research even more so this list will continue to grow. But I want to set you a challenge! Oooo a challenge! I want you to try and read one of these plays a week until you finish the list, deal? I know, I know, reading plays alone sucks right? Right! Get a group of friends together and read, use Zoom, or Facetime, or just call each other. If you read one play you’ve done 100% more then reading no plays. So go forth, read plays, get a group of friends together, have a glass of wine, or three and enjoy.  

Significant Other (By Joshua Harmon)

Joshua Harmons Broadway debut, Significant Other focuses on Jordan Berman, a 20-something New Yorker who is on his search for THE ONE in the 21century. Surprisingly this play wasn’t nominated for any Tony Awards but received rave reviews from critics. It is at heart a comedy that in its final few moments rips your heart out and leaves you in tears. The beauty of this play lies within the writing, its naturalist approach makes it feel like you’ve known these characters for years. There are a lot of gay plays out there, trust me I’ve read a lot of them, but this play is different. Harmon takes what would stereotypically be the funny gay best friend and puts him into the spotlight, it is beautiful to see a gay 20-something man so fleshed out. I urge you to read this play! It’s beautiful and deserves to be put on everywhere. Also if anyone out there is reading this, I’d love to play Jordan so #lachlanforjordan.

The Humans (By Stephen Karam)

The 2016 Tony Award-winning play The Humans by Stephen Karam explores family and its dark underside. It premiered in Chicago in 2014 before opening off-broadway in 2016 and transferring to Broadway later that year – at one stage being the only play open on broadway. A one-act play that takes place in real-time over a thanksgiving family dinner. When parents Erik and Deirdre visit their daughter in her New York apartment we experience the comfortable and raw emotions that come with spending time with your loved ones. This is a beautiful play that I wish I had been fortunate enough to see. Each character is fleshed out and is given a standout moment – a masterpiece for actors wanting to tackle it’s material. Go read it now!

Eclipsed (By Danai Gurira)

Written by Danai Gurira, who you may know as Michonne in The Walking Dead or as Okoye in Marvel’s Black Panther, made her Broadway debut as a writer with Eclipsed – the story of 5 Liberian women who are being held captive during wartime in 2013. It was the first play to have an entirely black female cast and creative team. 5 women in one bullet-ridden shack held captive by a commanding officer who refers to them as his wives. It’s a funny play, but as you can imagine also has heavy content. Danai Gurira said that she wanted to write a play for those whose voices aren’t heard or have never been heard and she certainly achieves that with this play. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play so I think that says enough about why you should read it. 

The Inheritance (By Matthew Lopez)

Helmed as ‘the most important play of this century’ The Inheritance began its life at The Old Vic in London before transferring to Broadway in 2019. Considered to be the third great gay play alongside Angels in America and The Normal Heart, it explores what it means to be a gay man alive today in the 21st century and what it means to acknowledge and thank those who came before us. It focuses on Eric Glass and Toby Darling at the peak of their relationship and follows as Toby, an aspiring writer, begins to find success and Eric finds new friendship in Walter, his neighbour upstairs. This play is heartbreaking, I still cry in the same place every time I read it. This is not only a play for gay men, it is a play for everyone. When it premiered in London at the Old Vic in 2018 it won four Olivier Awards, including Best New Play, and transferred to Broadway in 2019 closing short due to COVID-19. I have read this play so many times I cannot count. I don’t often say I was changed by something, but this play changed me. Also… I would love to play Eric Glass, just saying. 

The Boys in the Band (By Mart Crowley)

Soon to be a Netflix movie, or maybe by now, it is, this groundbreaking play changed history. Boys in the Band focuses on a group of gay men that gather in a new york city apartment for a friends birthday, after a few drinks we begin to see the cracks in their friendship and the heartache that threatens them. Boys in the band originally premiered in 1968 and put to the forefront the lives of gay men unapologetically and without judgment, at a time when society may have not been ready to receive it. It was revived in 2018 with an all-star cast and took home the Tony for best revival of a play. This play was and is a game-changer, and deserves to be read much more than it is – which is why I put it on this list. Please do me and yourself a favour and go and read this play. 

Time Stands Still (By Donald Margulies)

When Sarah returns from the Iraq War after being injured by a roadside bomb to her partner James, a reporter, we see how the couple’s relationship shifts while he deals with the guilt of leaving her behind. We see how this couple’s desire for adventure slowly dissolves as they start to think of a more traditional life together and when they have friends over for dinner we explore the complexity of the social issues of the time. Time stands still was nominated for a Tony Award during its 2010 run for both best new play and actress in a leading role. A play with just 4 people, that hits with so much impact. This is the perfect play to read with a group of friends and is an excellent choice if you were thinking of producing a play for the first time. 

Peter And The Star Catcher (By Rick Elice)

Based on the 2004 novel ‘Peter and The Starcatchers’ this is a prequel to the story of Peter… as in Peter Pan, the flying boy. Peter and the star catcher tells us how a poor orphan boy becomes the boy who never grew up – as he goes on a journey across the sea with a group of boys, shipped off from England to a mysterious island, he meets Molly, a young star catcher in training. A play with music, Peter and The Star Catcher, wowed audiences when it played on Broadway with its childlike quality. Give it a google and see for yourself how interesting this play looks. 

American Son (By Christopher Demon-Brown)

This is by far one of the most beautiful plays I’ve ever had the privilege of reading and seeing. American Son takes us on a rollercoaster ride as we watch a mother come to a police station on a rainy night hoping to get some help in finding her son who has not yet returned home. It holds up a mirror to society and makes us look hard at the uncomfortable truths of where we are and how far we have to come. It’s now a Netflix movie starring the original Broadway cast. It is a masterpiece in theatre and film, and an absolute masterclass in acting. 4 actors on a stage for 90 minutes in high stakes exploring maternal, marital and social fears. I cannot speak highly enough, do whatever you can to read and watch this. 

Sister Cities (By Colette Freedman)

When four estranged sisters reunite over their mother’s unexpected death, we explore their relationships and the meaning of family. A fairly unknown play, it’s never had a mainstage production, but it’s a beautiful piece for 4 female actors. Definitely, something to look at if you’re on the search for a scene or monologue. I was lucky enough to see a production a fair few years ago, and it’s still a piece that I think about every so often. 

Bad Jews (By Joshua Harmon)

Joshua Harmon’s second mention in this article, ooo fancy! Premiering Off-Broadway in 2012 Bad Jews is about a group of cousins who come together after their grandfather’s death. After being left a priceless piece of jewellery that their grandfather successfully smuggled out of Nazi Germany conflict erupts. Bad Jews is a dark comedy that looks at the importance of family, culture and religion. Joshua Harmon was inspired to write Bad Jews after attending a ceremony where grandchildren of holocaust survivors were invited to give speeches. Requiring only 4 actors, 2 female and 2 male, this is a wonderful play for 20something actors. If you need a laugh, give it a read. 

The Flick (By Annie Baker)

The beauty in this play is just how very boring it can be in the best way possible. The Flick tells the story of three underpaid movie ushers and depicts what appears to be the mundane tasks of working at the cinema. It’s received both glowing and not so glowing reviews in its time, mainly for its length and what can seem unexciting nature. I personally love The Flick. I read it with a group of friends and we unanimously appreciated its simplicity and its fully realised characters. The Flick is a Pulitzer prize-winning play that should be on everyone’s to-read list. Originally premiering Off-Broadway in 2013 The Flick has since received hundreds of productions around the world with good reason – its look at the divide between race and socioeconomic status is beautiful to watch unfold over its 3 hours. 

Fences (By August Wilson)

Fences is the 1985 play by August Wilson and the sixth part in his ten-part ‘Pittsburgh Cycle’, a collection of plays depicting the lives of African Americans at different points in history. Fences won the Pulitzer Prize in 1987 and a Tony Award in the same year. It’s the story of Troy, a 53-year-old man, who was never able to pursue his baseball career because of the colour of his skin and has had to settle working as a garbage collector, unable to fully provide for his family. In my opinion, it is one of August Wilson’s best works. It was made into a movie in 2016, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, who starred in the 2010 Broadway Revival of which they both won Tony Awards for leading actors in a play. 

Seminar (By Theresa Rebeck)

When four young writers sign up for a private writing seminar with an esteemed writer, they have their works and selves turned upside down with his cruel and unorthodox methods. Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer Theresa Rebeck wrote this play on reflection on being a writing teacher herself – and how teaching and learning demand humiliation from both teacher and student. If you’re looking for a play to produce, this should be in your top 3. 

Sweat (By Lynn Nottage)

Sweat won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2017 and went on to receive three Tony award nominations. A play by Lyn Nottage, Sweat looks at nine people in the town of Reading, Pennsylvania. She began writing the play after interviewing residents when it was declared one of the poorest cities in America. It takes a deep look at the working class of America through poverty, race and friendship. It’s been on my list of plays to read for a long time, I’m gonna go read it right now. 

Topdog / Underdog (By Suzan-Lori Parks)

Another Pulitzer Prize Winner, Topdog/Underdog follows the lives of two African-American brothers as they deal day to day with poverty and racism. Originally opening off-broadway in 2001, directed by George C. Wolfe the production then moved to Broadway in 2002 for a short run. Suzan-Lori Parks says the play is a commentary on who the world expects you to be, and how individual struggles with that and tries to fight it. It was listed as one of the greatest American plays in 2018 – I can’t wait to read it. 

To close…

So here’s the list so far. Get some friends together and read one play a week, it’s simple. Imagine how many beautiful stories and characters you could discover in 3 months?! Remember to check Drama Online if you are a StageMilk member – it contains thousands of plays from around the world and is the perfect place to start your playreading journey. 

The post Contemporary American Plays appeared first on StageMilk.

Read more: The Best Plays of All Time

THE CRACKWALKER
by Judith Thompson

Judith Thompson’s iconic The Crackwalker exploded onto the Canadian stage in 1980. Thompson draws on her own experiences here as a social walker here to bring us the story of Teresa, a passionate and mentally unwell young woman and her relationships with the denizens of Kingston, Ontario’s forgotten lower class. The play is notable for not presenting its protagonists with sentimentality or pity, but providing an as-objective-as-possible portrait of people in these forgotten communities. A raw, acutely observational play grappling with the tensions and realities of poverty and hopelessness, The Crackerwalker is a visceral snapshot of the outcast and the downtrodden.

DRY LIPS OUGHTA MOVE TO KAPUSKASING
by Tomson Highway

Written in a mix of English and Indigenous North American languages Cree and Ojibway, Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing depicts the everyday lives of seven First Nations men on the fictitious Wasaychigan Hill reserve – The Rez – in northern Ontario. As they dream their dreams, plan their career goals, their interpersonal dramas are fuelled by a trickster spirit named NanaBush Gazelle, a shapeshifter who assumes various forms in order to turn their various fears about the women of The Rez against them. A magical, bitingly comic piece, Dry Lips is somewhat controversial for its characters’ treatment and sometimes misogynistic sentiment towards the women in their lives – for a contrasting viewpoint, Highway’s companion piece to this play, The Rez Sisters, focuses on seven women in the same setting.

ANGÉLIQUE
by Lorena Gale

Angélique tells the story of real-life slave Marie-Joseph Angélique, who was accused, convicted and hung for allegedly starting the fire that burned down the city of Old Montréal in 1734. Gale expertly weaves poetry and pose with historical documentary to produce a harrowing look into the tragic state of slave life in Nouvelle France. Pointing sternly at the largely untold history of racism and slavery in Canada, Angélique’s ill-fated quest for freedom unfolds in this 1995 play. Peppered with anachronistic references to modern-day, Angélique is a stark reminder that the systems that produce racism and slavery have not yet been eradicated, and as she finds herself in a modern-day orange prison jumpsuit, it’s clear those systems have simply been reinvented for our modern age. Also of note is Gale’s other critically acclaimed drama, Je Me Souviens.

LES BELLES-SOEURS
by Michel Tremblay

Originally written in French and later produced in English, Les Belles-Soeurs represents a critical turning point in Quebec culture and theatre. Les Belles-Soeurs hit the Canadian stage in 1968 and was notable (and controversial) for its honest portrayal of working-class women in a real, recognisable work class environment. Turning the screws on the theatrical norms of the time, Tremblay’s comedy brought a new, fourth-wall-breaking contemporary aspect to Quebec’s stuffy, classically dominated stage. Les Belles-Soeurs was the touchstone drama of the Quiet Revolution, a period in the 1960s when Quebec’s oppressive Catholic society underwent a major shift, and the play’s power as a biting critique of class struggle and consumer culture still rings loudly today.

‘DA KINK IN MY HAIR
by Trey Anthony

‘Da Kink In My Hair holds several honours in Canada’s theatre space, being the first Canadian play to run at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre, and the sitcom version based off the 2001 play went down as Canada’s first homegrown black sitcom. Set in a busy hair salon in downtown Toronto, the play centres on Novelette, a Jamaican stylist who connects with her various clients through the economic and societal difficulties that plague them. Structured mostly around a series of terrific monologues, with a couple of thrilling musical numbers to boot, ‘da Kink In My Hair stands proud as a seminal work of Black Canadian theatre that celebrates those women of colour for whom the salon is a vital community space.

CREEPS
By David Freeman

In the men’s bathroom of a sweatshop disguised as a rehabilitation centre, four men escape the drudgery of their exploitative labour to blow off steam, each of them living with cerebral palsy. Toronto playwright David Freeman’s Creeps is notable for revolutionarily centring disabled characters for Canadian audiences for the first time. Freeman himself lived with CP and coached the actors in the original production to produce accurate performances. The men bemoan their degrading circumstances, bicker with each other, and plot against their Nurse Ratched-esque tormenter, Miss Saunders. Creeps reflects social attitudes towards disabled people with a sardonic flair, and though some of those attitudes have changed, its relevance goes unquestioned to this day.

HOW NOW BLACK MAN
by Lorris Elliott

Elliott’s How Now Black Man, which debuted at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre in 1968, was a pioneering work of Canadian Black theatre. Its success led to the creation of the still-operating Black Theatre Workshop, the first space for Black theatre and theatre-makers of its kind in Canada when they produced the play as part of their maiden season in 1970. Sadly, like all of Lorris Elliott’s work, the play was never published, and its content has been lost to time. Elliott’s legacy, and that of his seminal How Now Black Man, remain an integral part of Canada’s theatrical history.

Conclusion 

So there you have it, our list of incredible contemporary Canadian plays. I hope this page gives you a great starting point and will encourage you to explore some incredible Canadian playwrights. Go get play hunting and let us know how you find any of these great plays.

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This is by no means an extensive list; like I said, there are just so many wonderful works out there. These are ten plays that I have had the fortune of encountering, and that I personally love. These plays have all been written and debuted within the last twenty years (many within the last five) and have a lot to offer young performers, directors, and producers. 

Some Must Read BIPOC Plays and Playwrights to check out

‘Blackie Blackie Brown: The Traditional Owner of Death’ by Nakkiah Lui 

Blackie Blackie Brown is Nakkiah Lui’s audacious comedy about an Aboriginal Australian superhero on a mission: to avenge her ancestors by killing every descendant of the four white men who massacred her great-grandmother’s people. The play is camp, funny, and has been described as Tarantino-esque. But it is also deeply moving, as it addresses Black trauma, and Australia’s violent history in a completely unique way. There are many moments that could be lifted to create exceptional, unique, monologues for young, female, Indigenous actors, but even if that isn’t you, this play should float to the very top of your reading list. 

‘Gloria’ by Branden Jacobs Jenkins 

If you don’t know Branden Jacobs Jenkins yet, you really should; I could write an entire list on his plays alone. The American writers’ plays include An Octaroon, Everybody, Appropriate, and Neighbours. Gloria is a dramatic comedy about a group of aspiring writers in modern day Manhattan. I’ve chosen to feature it in this list because it contains a variety of roles for actors from ‘early 20s’ to ‘extra-late 30s’ and from a variety of backgrounds:

DEAN/DEVIN: extra-late 20s, “white”
KENDRA/JENNA: mid-late 20s, Chinese American or Korean-American
ANI/SASHA/CALLIE: early 20s, “white”
GLORIA/NAN: extra-late 30s, “anything really”
MILES/SHAWN/RASHAAD: 20 years old, “black”
LORIN: late 30s, “unclear” 

With a tonne of two-hander and three-hander scenes, as well as a few monologues, I’d recommend this play to any actor in this age range looking for an audition scene for a class, or an audition monologue. It’s also a great play to put on if you’re a bunch of diverse, mostly twenty-somethings looking for something fresh and contemporary that is both funny and dramatic. 

‘random’ by debbie tucker green 

This is a captivating solo drama for a black, female actor from British playwright, screenwriter and director debbie tucker green (she spells her name in lower-case) and was my favourite play of 2018. In this play, the one performer plays a variety of characters: primarily speaking as Sister, but also Brother, Mother, and Father. It is full of idiosyncratic language and behaviors, and centres around an ordinary family, and a seemingly ordinary day before a random (“not so random”) act of violence blows their world apart. With an incredible blend of light and shade, humour and heart-wrenching drama, this is an exciting role for a young black, female actor, and almost any part of it would make a stand-out monologue. 

‘Single Asian Female’ by Michelle Law

Michelle Law’s debut play, Single Asian Female, is set in a restaurant on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, after the customers have left for the night. It’s a charming comedy that centres on the experiences of a group of Asian Australian women as they grapple with race, gender, and life’s big questions. The play contains seven characters, six of which are women, and three of which are specifically Chinese, ranging in age from seventeen to ‘50s’. In this play you will find touching monologues, as well as some great two-hander and three-hander scenes. 

‘Incendies’ by Majdi Mouawad
translated to English as ‘Scorched’ by Linda Gaboriau 

This is a powerful play that follows a pair of twins (Janine and Simon) as they uncover the mysterious truth of their origin, and the reason for their mothers’ silence in her final years of life. As the characters retrace their mother’s history through the Middle East, the play addresses cyclical violence, generational trauma, and the unspeakable pain of the past. I first encountered this play as a student production when I myself was a student, and was struck by it’s brutal sincerity, and the opportunity it affords actors to dig deep. The three main characters (two female, one male) are Middle Eastern, and the play offers a range of excellent monologues and scenes, across two generations, for actors to sink their teeth into. 

Note: Originally written by Lebanese-Candian, Majdi Mouawad, the English version ‘Scorched’ was translated by Canadian dramaturg and literary translator, Linda Gaboriau. 

‘Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner’ by Jasmine Lee-Jones 

Jasmine Lee-Jones is a British writer and actor from North London, who wrote ‘Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner’ as her debut play at the age of twenty! This play is fresh, innovative, and ultra-contemporary. When outspoken online activist Cleo, uses her social media presence to take on the appropriation of Black culture by white women, she’s faced with political backlash, and the blurring of her online/offline life. In this two-hander, Cleo and her best friend Kara navigate Black womanhood, coloursim, appropriation, and the politics of social media activism through an innovative integration of theatre with gifs, memes, and emojis. 

‘Counting and Cracking’ by S. Shakthidharan 

This play is an epic story of love, refuge and reconciliation. Shakthi is an Australian storyteller with Sri Lankan heritage and Tamil ancestry, and his debut play ‘Counting and Cracking’ is a three hour epic that involves sixteen actors from six different countries playing characters from four generations of a family as they journey across Sri Lanka and Australia. 

Counting and Cracking was a co-production from Co-Curios and Belvoir St Theatre, and swept the Australian live performance awards, The Helpmann Awards, in 2019, winning seven of the eight categories it was nominated in. 

‘The Motherf**ker with the Hat’ by Stephen Adly Guirgis 

Stephen Adly Guirgis is a playwright, screenwriter, and director who was born in New York City to an Egyptian father and an Irish American mother. His play The Motherf**ker with the Hat has been aptly described as a “high-octane verbal cage match about love, fidelity and misplaced haberdashery”. The play opens with Jackie, a former drug dealer, returning home from prison to his wife, Veronica, who he begins to suspect has been cheating on him. Jackie, Veronica, and Cousin Julio were written to be Puerto Rican, and the other two characters Ralph D. and his wife Victoria ‘were not created with any particular ethnicity in mind’. 

In the Author’s Note, Guirgis provides some thoughts on casting and offers the ‘final note on casting: This play and all my plays have the best chance to come to life fully when they are cast as MULTI-ETHNICALLY as possible’ and asks that folks ‘please strive to cast the play overall in a manner that reflects the beautiful melting pot that is New York City and the setting of this play.’ Having premiered in October 2011, the Author’s Note is a reminder that conversations surrounding culturally appropriate casting, and the need to tell culturally diverse stories have a long history (indeed, prior to 2011), and certainly haven’t emerged overnight. 

‘Prize Fighter’ by Future D. Fidel 

By Congolese-Australian writer, Future D. Fidel, Prize Fighter follows the story of a talented young boxer, Isa. Isa is a Congolese boy, orphaned by war and forced to become a child soldier by those who killed his family. Having found a new home in Brisbane, Australia, Isa confronts his past as he prepares for the most important fight of his life. The play requires six actors (two female and four male) and, with a few exceptions, requires most actors to play multiple characters to bring to life nearly thirty characters, including an ensemble. 

‘We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South West Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1994 – 1915’ by Jackie Sibblies Drury 

So look, I know that was an unusually long title there, so thanks for getting through it. I thought I’d end on something a little different as a thank you for making it through my list! Jackie Sibblies Drury is an American playwright, and daughter of Jamaican parents. This play is about a largely forgotten genocide, the Herero and Namaqua genocide (Namibia 1904-1907). It’s comedic dramatization of this topic is entirely unique and involves a cast of six actors who gather to give a presentation which attempts to both tell the story and provide various perspectives on this incredibly horrific real life event. Past and present begin to collide as the actors continuously stop and start again, debating amongst themselves about how to best tell this story. Gradually, these distant events seem a little too close to home. 

I’m not sure you could really use anything from this play as an audition monologue, and it conventionally defies anything like a ‘scene’, but it is a very interesting piece of theatre, and well worth your time. 

More Great BIPOC Plays to Check Out:

• A Raisin in the Sun – Lorraine Hansberry
• A Soldier’s Play – Charles Fuller
• Alligator – Hilary Bettis
• Angels In The Men’s Room – OyamO
• Anna in the Tropics – Nilo Cruz
• Barriers Rehana – Lew Mirza
• Black Bee – Pia Wilson
• Black Nativity – Langston Hughes
• Black Super Hero Magic Mama – Inda Craig-Galván
• Blues For Mister Charlie – James Baldwin
• Bootycandy – Robert O’Hara
• Breath, Boom – Kia Corthron
• Burned – Amina Henry
• Carnaval – Nikkole Salter
• Children of Killers – Katori Hall
• Chinglish – David Henry Hwang
• Death and the Maiden – Ariel Dorfman
• Death for Sydney Black – Leah Nanako Winkler
• Detroit 67 – Dominique Morisseau
• Dutchman – Amiri Baraka
• East is East – Ayub Khan-Din
• Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them – A. Rey Pamatmat
• Elmina’s Kitchen – Kwame Kwei-Armah
• Endlings – Celine Song
• Familiar – Danai Gurira
• Fedra – J. Nicole Brooks
• Fefu and Her Friends – María Irene Fornés
• Fences – August Wilson
• for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf – Ntozake Shange
• Fur – Migdalia Cruz
• Gone Too Far! – Bola Agbaje
• Guards at the Taj – Rajiv Joseph
• History of Walking – James Ijames
• Home – Samm-Art Williams
• Infallibility – Matt Barbot
• Intimate Apparel – Lynn Nottage
• Jesus Took the A Train – Stephen Adly Gurgis
• Landless – Larissa FastHorse
• Letters to a Student Revolutionary – Elizabeth Wong
• Levee James – S. M. Shephard-Massat
• Lilyvine – Mfoniso Udofia
• Mala – Melinda Lopez
• Mambo Mouth – John Leguizamo
• Nomad Motel – Carla Ching
• Obama-Ology – Aurin Squire
• Or What She Will – Charly E. Simpson
• Pancake Queen – Brie Knight
• Platanos and Collard Greens – David Lamb
• Polaroid Stories – Naomi Iizuka
• Pretty Little Mouth – Marcus Yi
• Redwood – Brittany K. Allen
• Rez Road Follies – Jim Northrup
• Roar – Betty Shamieh
• Roosters – Milcha Sanchez-Scott
• Selling Kabul – Sylvia Khoury
• Seven Spots on the Sun – Martin Zimmerman
• Sleep Deprivation Chamber – Adrienne Kennedy
• Sleep With Me Hanif Kureishi
• Songs My Mother Taught Me – Wakako Yamauchi
• Standoff At Hwy #37 – Vickie Ramirez
• Sucker Punch – Roy Williams
• Sugar Mummies – Tanika Gupta
• Swimming While Drowning – Emilio Rodriguez
• The Bridge Party – Sandra Seaton
• The Great Leap – Lauren Yee
• The Houdini Act – Tanya Barfield
• The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G – Qui Nguyen
• The Lady Drug Dealer and the Heist – Temar Underwood
• The Language Archive – Julia Cho
• The Merit System – Edwin Sanchez
• The Oppressed Minorities Big Fun Show – Meera Syal
• The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin – Jessica Huang
• Thoroughly Stupid Things – Montserrat Mendez
• Those Who Can’t, Teach – Haresh Sharma
• To The Bone – Lisa Ramirez
• Twelve Ophelias – Caridad Svich
• War Crimes – Sergei Burbank
• Yoga Play – Dipika Yuha

Conclusion

So there you have it, a bunch of amazing plays written by and for BIPOC creatives. I’m always looking for more interesting, culturally diverse pieces of writing, so leave a comment below if you have any more suggestions to add to this list!

The post Amazing BIPOC Plays appeared first on StageMilk.

10 Fantastic Plays for Young Actors

#1 The Wolves 

By Sarah DeLappe
So, technically this play is written for teenagers, but it is so very good, and with such a strong focus on its youthful characters, that I’ve popped it in anyway. Chances are you’re all too familiar with auditioning for teen roles as an actor in your 20s, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re rolling your eyes as you read this. “Great, more underdeveloped characters who only care about sex, texting and high school drama.” Not this play. 

The Wolves is a masterclass in writing young people well. These young women feel like high schoolers AND nuanced human beings (crazy right?), complete with intricate desires, dreams, secrets, and flaws. The play charts a soccer team’s progress through its league across six weeks of pre-game warm ups. The natural, conversational style and authentic portrayal of girls on the brink of womanhood has made the play hugely popular around the world, as well as earning it a well-deserved place on the 2017 Pulitzer shortlist for playwright Sarah Delappe. 

#2 Mojo

By Jex Butterworth
This debut play from playwright-of-the-minute Jez Butterworth (Jerusalem, The Ferryman) is a dream for a university aged actors. It’s dark, wickedly funny, and brimming with tension. It’s set in a 1950s Soho night club, but feels nothing like the period pieces you’re used to. The club is run by a gang of misfits, who are riding on the coattails of their star performer Silver Johnny. That is until a rival club owner makes a play for Johnny by cutting their leader in half – cue scene with body parts sticking out of two discrete rubbish bins. With lightning fast dialogue and enough drugs to put The Wolf of Wall Street to shame, it’s an excellent playground for young male actors looking to get a bit wild on stage.

#3 Romeo and Juliet

By William Shakespeare
It’s easy to forget that many Shakespearean roles are young and dumb because they sound so very eloquent. There aren’t a lot of contemporary plays where young characters rattle off “Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!” And nowhere in the Bard’s work are they younger and dumber than in Romeo and Juliet. 

You’ve probably seen the memes lampooning the play as a tale about horny teens who inadvertently kill 5 people (themselves included) trying to get their rocks off. But once again, memes don’t capture the full story. The play proper is a rousing testament to love overcoming hatred, and the power of young people wherever they are to defy long-standing prejudices. It’s chock full of great monologues for young men and women, not to mention a key canon text, so tick it off your list sooner rather than later.

#4 Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons 

By Sam Steiner
There are so, so many two handers about young couples navigating modern relationships and searching for connection (others that almost cracked this list include Gruesome Playground Injuries and Constellations). But for me Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons stands out, unwieldy title and all. First produced in 2015, the play captures a relationship told non-linearly within a dystopian reality where the number of words humans can speak each day is controlled by the government. Steiner cleverly maps the breakdown of communication within one relationship alongside the actual destruction of human communication more broadly. It has a certain weird factor that always makes a script memorable for me, and the exploration of human connection becomes intrinsically more exciting when you place limits on that connection. It’s a neat thought experiment that could be gimmicky yet feels personal and considered enough to stand on its own feet.

#5 The Flick

By Annie Baker
The ingenuity of this play is how boring it should be, but Annie Baker’s beloved script works precisely because it finds the sublime within the ridiculous. Set in a suburban cinema, it is simply the story of three underpaid ushers as they clean up popcorn, talk about movies, and scim a little “dinner money” off ticket sales. Like The Wolves, the strength of this beautiful Pulitzer prize winner is the focus it places on the experiences and perspectives of its young characters, and how those experiences diverge across racial lines. The intensely personal portrayal of each character excavates a hidden kind of racism within our culture, emphasising the impact it can have and, I believe, inviting us to excavate in our own lives.

#6 Significant Other

By Joshua Harmon
Okay, so I’m a little bit biased because I’m in love with this play and am dying to play Jordan Berman… but Significant Other is one of the funniest and most heartbreaking plays I’ve ever read. Jordan Berman is a twentysomething new yorker, who is trying to navigate his way through #singlelyf and dating all while watching those around him get married. The beauty of this play is how it takes the classic gay best friend trope and puts that charatcer into the spotlight. The dialogue is natural and makes you feel as if you’re just chatting to your BFF. A must read for any twentysomething actor. 

#7 Speech and Debate

By Stephen Karam
Speech and Debate takes place in Salem, Oregon and follows three teens and their attempts to expose the highschool drama teacher who preys on teenage boys. It’s a dark comedy with fantastic roles for twentysomethings. Of course hilarity ensues. It was made into a movie in 2017, though I personally feel the play is better… just saying. It explores issues around sexuality and growing up, without being preachy. Also read more of Stephen Karams work, he’s fantastic, and a playright you should definitely know. 

#8 This is Our Youth

By Kenneth Lonergan
A New York City apartment, 1982, the beginning of the reagan era. It centres around the unbalanced relationship between two young men. Warren, Dennis and Jessica are entering the big scary world with only the tools they developed as teens. This play is a fantastic piece for three young adults and makes us confront ugly truths that we may not otherwise acknowledge.

#9 Out of Gas on Lovers Leap

By Mark St. Germain
Myst and Grouper, two smart upper-class teens drive to the local lookout, ‘lovers leap’, on the night of their highschool graduation. Throughout the night we watch the story unfold of two very lost young people trying to find who they are when every opinion and idea they have has been shaded by their parents. The ending is heartbreaking. If you’re anything like me, you love a moody piece, and something that lets you just cry. This is the piece for you. 

#10 The Glass Menagerie 

By Tennessee Williams
Ugh, words cannot even begin to describe exactly how beautiful this play is. Tennessee is a genius, duh, and this play is one of his best. If you haven’t read this… what are you doing?! Tom is stuck living a life absent of the excitement he desires, Laura is “old”, 23, and painfully shy and then there is Jim, the man of all our dreams. The scene between Laura and the Gentleman Caller (Jim) is both joyful and heartbreaking and a fantastic scene for any actor to flex their acting muscles. I could literally talk all day about The Glass Menagerie, but I won’t. If you’re looking for something to excite you about this play, you should watch whatever you can about the Broadway revival starring Zackery Quinto and Cherry Jones. 

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One-person plays, often called one-man or one-woman shows (which we think is perhaps a bit reductive) occupy a unique space in modern theatre. Finding their origins in oration (the foundation of all modern Western drama), as well as lecture and poetry recital, the 20th century saw the play for a single actor take a strong foothold in the vastness of the contemporary canon.

Updated October 7th, 2022.

One-person plays are often intimate, forthright and engaging; much of an actor’s efforts usually concentrated on other performers is focused directly towards the audience. They present an enormous challenge for the performer, who is tasked with carrying the whole damn show on their back using a mixture of skills such as narration, physical expression, character work, dialogue and even stand-up comedy. It’s acting without a safety net: there are no exits, no fellow actors to rely on, and often little in the way of set or props. Just them, the audience, and pages of text with which to weave some magic.

But there is magic to be had. For actors who love the process of script analysis and creating layered characters, there is a wealth of material to work from in a one-person text. And as the actor/audience relationship is so close by default, the opportunity to make strong emotional connections and convey ideas are unparalleled in all dramatic forms. They are some of the hardest pieces an actor can perform, but one-person shows can be infinitely rewarding to all involved.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at a selection of the very best contemporary one-person plays to sink your teeth into:

Prima Facie

Suzie Miller (2019)

Tessa, a young and brilliant barrister, has fought her entire life to overcome modest beginnings and reach the top of her field. However, after a devastating event in her personal life forces her to the outside of a system she once operated within, Tessa must confront the inequities of gender, class and privilege inherent in the legal system. Prima Facie first took Australia by storm in 2019, going on to receive multiple accolades and seasons before heading across the pond for its West End debut staring Jodie Comer. A fantastic recording of this performance is available via the National Theatre Online portal.

I Am My Own Wife

Doug Wright (2003)

First performed by legendary Broadway actor Jefferson Mays, Doug Wright’s astounding I Am My Own Wife opened in 2003 and won just about every major theatrical prize possible. It’s the story of real-world German antiquarian Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf, a transgender woman who lived through the Nazi regime in wartime Germany before running a museum that became a meeting place for the gay community of East Berlin. The actor must take on a whopping forty-odd characters, often portraying them in conversation, so get your vocal warm-ups on point: you’re going to need to be flexible!

The Year of Magical Thinking

Joan Didion (2007)

Based on the 2005 memoir of the same name, The Year of Magical Thinking documents Joan Didion’s attempts to process and overcome her grief following the death of her husband and, later, her daughter. Much like the book, it explores real events, scientific and medical theories as well as Didion’s own inner life and musings on her tragic situation. It’s a tough watch in some respects, especially for those who may have experienced similar events and emotions in their lives. But, as it proves to be for Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking is ultimately an uplifting and cathartic experience.

Shirley Valentine

Willy Russell (1986)

The titular Shirley is a beloved character in contemporary theatre. Feeling stagnant in her life, stuck in her ways with a family and husband who fail to see her (let alone respect her), she packs her bags and heads off on a holiday to Greece to relax and find herself. And find herself she does… Shirley Valentine is an influential piece of theatre, that does wonders in capturing the story of a woman who decides to abandon passivity to fight for her own self-worth.

Thom Pain, Based On Nothing

Will Eno (2004)

Darkly comic, meditative and strange, Will Eno’s iconic rollercoaster of a monologue netted him a Pulitzer Prize nomination in 2005. Part fourth-wall busting stand-up, part spoken-word surrealism, the titular Thom has been played by some of our finest modern actors, from Michael C. Hall to Toby Schmitz. Thom demands its actor has enough wiles to be two steps ahead of its unsuspecting audience at all times. Still, it remains supremely accessible to a young male actor looking for a contemporary piece with shades of Hamlet, if you’re into that sort of thing. Surely: it must be based on something.

Every Brilliant Thing

Duncan MacMillan (2013)

While we’ve got you on a fourth-wall-break roll… The plot of Every Brilliant Thing is simple enough—a young boy decides to catalogue a list of things worth living for after a parent’s suicide attempt—but the way in which is told creates a total sense of connection between actor and audience. Every Brilliant Thing is a show often performed with the house lights up, so that the performer might interact and call on the audience to help them through the story. They might speak a few (pre-written) lines as a doctor, hold a prop that doubles for a beloved pet. It’s a unique experience: a show you have to experience to fully appreciate.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

Nassim Soleimanpour (2010)

And now for something completely different. White Rabbit Red Rabbit is a monologue designed to be performed entirely unrehearsed by a different actor for each night of its run. Sealed in an envelope and left on stage for its presumably nerve-wracked performer to find and open upon lights up, this unknown and unknowable piece by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour has been a smash hit across the globe. We’d tell you what it’s about, but that would be the magician revealing the secret to their trick. So we’re not going to.

Grounded

George Brant (2013)

As electric as it is timely, Grounded is a scorching piece from the perspective of a female drone pilot working and operating death drones over the Middle East from a bunker in Nevada. Grounded by her unexpected pregnancy, the once-ace fighter pilot now grapples with remote-controlled drone warfare and its rippling effects on her home life, as the play explores what it means to fight a war from a point of complete disconnection. Grounded is a powerful piece for a female actor.

Krapp’s Last Tape

Samuel Beckett (1958)

Krapp’s Last Tape, a semi-autobiographical piece by renowned absurdist playwright Samuel Beckett, carries as much of a legacy as the man himself. On his 69th birthday, and nearing the end of his life, the sardonically named Krapp pores over a lifetime of tapes he has recorded of himself as a younger man recounting a life of lost hope, despair and regret. Krapp’s Last Tape is one of Beckett’s most frequently performed dramas and has been delivered by many of the world’s leading actors and theatrical figures, including Beckett’s contemporary and master of menace Harold Pinter in 2006. The play is a masterwork, and the part of Krapp has been described by author Daniel Sack as “one of the greatest in the English language.” If you’ve yet to experience this modern classic, consider it a priority.

Death of England

Clint Dyer and Roy Williams (2020)

Michael stands on stage, wedged between his father’s coffin and the audience, and delivers a (drunken?) eulogy of the late legend. However, it doesn’t take him long before he’s berating the audience, challenging them and himself about his father’s toxic views in life and how they reflect a post-Brexit England in an identity crisis. Rafe Spall brought Michael to life in the original production with unmatched fervour. Later in 2020, the writers created and released a companion piece Death of England: Delroy that acted as a response to the first. It is an equally powerful example of a one-person play.

Fires in the Mirror

Anna Deavere Smith (1992)

Fires in the Mirror consists of a collection of monologues taken from transcripts of real people, collated and arranged by Anna Deavere Smith, concerning the Crown Heights Riots in Brooklyn, NY in the summer of 1991. It is considered a pioneering work in verbatim theatre, a genre which would give rise to some contemporary classics such as The Laramie Project and Yellow Face. Performed originally by Smith herself, the actor speaks the real verbatim words of the African-American and Jewish residents of the neighbourhood of Crown Heights, as well as various leading public figures—so the casting, here, is critical. If you’re interested in verbatim theatre, Fires in the Mirror is a fantastic place to start. Smith has written several other brilliant one woman shows; another one worth your time is 2016’s Notes from the Field.

A Room of One’s Own

Virginia Woolf (1929)

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction…” Strictly speaking, in its original form, A Room of One’s Own was formed out of a series of iconic feminist lectures given by Woolf at two women’s colleges at Cambridge in 1928. First lecture-performance, then essay-novella, it has been adapted in various forms for the stage since: sometimes as a piece for several actors, sometimes as a one-woman show. A fierce polemic call for women’s autonomy in the male-dominated world of literature and art, A Room of One’s Own is one of the 20th century’s most important feminist works, making it perfect fodder for the contemporary stage. Eileen Atkin’s performance of the work in 1991 will be etched forever on theatre’s honour board.

The Vagina Monologues

Eve Ensler (1996)

You might have seen this one coming. The Vagina Monologues is perhaps the most famous one-woman show of all, owing to its incredible impact as a piece of contemporary political theatre. Originally staged as a solo performance by Ensler in 1996, it has since been performed by casts of multiple women, trans women, and in various languages across the world. Its power as a solo piece remains, and it can certainly be mined for monologues if you’re searching for a shorter piece to perform. If you haven’t read it, it remains a critical feminist text.

“Nights in the Gardens of Spain” from Talking Heads

Alan Bennett (1998)

While not strictly a play, Alan Bennett wrote monologue collection Talking Heads for the BBC in 1988, and followed up with a seconds series a decade later. Every single piece is worth an actor’s time, infused with Bennett’s signature humour and insight on subjects as varied as love, family, class and mortality. It is hard to single out any one monologue, but our choice for this list is “Nights in the Gardens of Spain”; a delicate and yet disturbing piece originally performed to perfection by the great Penelope Wilton. In 2020, eight of the pieces were re-filmed, and two new stories were debuted.

Fleabag

Phoebe Waller-Bridge (2013)

Waller-Bridge’s famed one-person show debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013, where it won her critical acclaim. It was later adapted by the BBC (in partnership with Amazon Studios) into one of the most celebrated contemporary comedy series of its time. Waller-Bridge mixes humour and tragedy with ease as she tells the story of a supremely flawed, unlikeable and yet endearing character. While it is a piece very much associated with its creator, the play itself is still worth reading and performing for any actor keen to study how a remarkable piece of storytelling comes together on stage.

Honourable Mentions

There’s always more, of course. Many one-person plays are written and performed by the same person; as such their texts are sometimes difficult to track down. That being said, here is a short list of some other one-person plays we recommend checking out:

• Iphogenia in Splott (2015) by Gary Owen
• Dog (2000) and Mother (2015) by Daniel Keene
• Bridge and Tunnel (2004) by Sarah Jones
• World Without End (1989) by Holly Hughes
• A Bronx Tale (1989) by Chazz Palminteri
• Satchmo at the Waldorf (2015) by Terry Teachout
• A Girl is a Half Formed Thing (2013) by Eimear McBride, adapted by Annie Ryan
• The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin (1976) by Steve J Spears
• Lackawanna Blues (2001) by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
• “iphigenia in orem” and “medea redux” from bash: latterday plays (1999) by Neil LaBute
• Berlin/Wall (2009) by David Hare
• And just about anything from Spalding Gray…

The post Best One-Person Plays appeared first on StageMilk.

2020

Winner: A Strange Loop, by Michael R. Jackson

Finalists: Heroes of the Fourth Turning, by Will Arbery
Soft Power, by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori

2019

Winner: Fairview, by Jackie Sibblies Drury

Finalists: Dance Nation, by Clare Barron
What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck

2018

Winner: Cost of Living, by Martyna Majok

Finalists: Everybody, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
The Minutes, by Tracy Letts

2017

Winner: Sweat, by Lynn Nottage

Finalists: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, by Taylor Mac
The Wolves, by Sarah DeLappe

2016

Winner: Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Finalists: Gloria, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
The Humans, by Stephen Karam

2015

Winner: Between Riverside and Crazy, by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Finalists: Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2, 3), by Suzan-Lori Parks
Marjorie Prime, by Jordan Harrison

2014

Winner: The Flick, by Annie Baker

Finalists: Fun Home, by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori
The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, by Madeleine George

2013

Winner: Disgraced, by Ayad Akhtar

Finalists: 4000 Miles, by Amy Herzog
Rapture, Blister, Burn, by Gina Gionfriddo

2012

Winner: Water by the Spoonful, by Quiara Alegría Hudes

Finalists: Other Desert Cities, by Jon Robin Baitz
Sons of the Prophet, by Stephen Karam

2011

Winner: Clybourne Park, by Bruce Norris

Finalists: A Free Man of Color, by John Guare
Detroit, by Lisa D’Amour

2010

Winner: Next to Normal, by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey

Finalists: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, by Rajiv Joseph
In the Next Room or the vibrator play, by Sarah Ruhl
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, by Kristoffer Diaz

2009

Winner: Ruined, by Lynn Nottage

Finalists: Becky Shaw, by Gina Gionfriddo
In The Heights, by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes

2008

Winner: August: Osage County, by Tracy Letts

Finalists: Dying City, by Christopher Shinn
Yellow Face, by David Henry Hwang

2007

Winner: Rabbit Hole, by David Lindsay-Abaire

Finalists: Bulrusher, by Eisa Davis
Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue, by Quiara Alegria Hudes
Orpheus X, by Rinde Eckert

2006

~No award given~

Finalists: Miss Witherspoon, by Christopher Durang
Red Light Winter, by Adam Rapp
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, by Rolin Jones

2005

Winner: Doubt, a parable, by John Patrick Shanley

Finalists: The Clean House, by Sarah Ruhl.
Thom Pain (based on nothing), by Will Eno

2004

Winner: I Am My Own Wife, by Doug Wright

Finalists: Man from Nebraska, by Tracy Letts
Omnium Gatherum, by Theresa Rebeck and Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros

2003

Winner: Anna in the Tropics, by Nilo Cruz

Finalists: Take Me Out, by Richard Greenberg
The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, by Edward Albee

2002

Winner: Topdog/Underdog, by Suzan-Lori Parks

Finalists: The Glory of Living, by Rebecca Gilman
Yellowman, by Dael Orlandersmith

2001

Winner: Proof, by David Auburn

Finalists: The Play About the Baby, by Edward Albee
The Waverly Gallery, by Kenneth Lonergan

2000

Winner: Dinner With Friends, by Donald Margulies

Finalists: In the Blood, by Suzan-Lori Parks
King Hedley II, by August Wilson

1999

Winner: Wit, by Margaret Edson

Finalists: Running Man, by Cornelius Eady and Diedre Murray
Side Man, by Warren Leight

1998

Winner: How I Learned to Drive, by Paula Vogel

Finalists: Freedomland, by Amy Freed
Three Days of Rain, by Richard Greenberg

1997

~ No award given ~

Finalists: Collected Stories, by Donald Margulies
Pride’s Crossing, by Tina Howe
The Last Night of Ballyhoo, by Alfred Uhry

1996

Winner: Rent, by Jonathan Larson

Finalists: A Fair Country, by Jon Robin Baitz
Old Wicked Songs, by Jon Marans

1995

Winner: The Young Man From Atlanta, by Horton Foote

Finalists: Seven Guitars, by August Wilson
The Cryptogram, by David Mamet

1994

Winner: Three Tall Women, by Edward Albee

Finalists: A Perfect Ganesh, by Terrence McNally
Keely and Du, by Jane Martin (a pseudonym)

1993

Winner: Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, by Tony Kushner

Finalists: Fires in the Mirror, by Anna Deavere Smith
The Destiny of Me, by Larry Kramer

1992

Winner: The Kentucky Cycle, by Robert Schenkkan

Finalists: Conversations With My Father, by Herb Gardner
Miss Evers’ Boys, by David Feldshuh
Sight Unseen, by Donald Margulies
Two Trains Running, by August Wilson

1991

Winner: Lost in Yonkers, by Neil Simon

Finalists: Prelude to a Kiss, by Craig Lucas
Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare

1990

Winner: The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson

Finalists: And What of the Night?, by Maria Irene Fornes
Love Letters, by A.R. Gurney

1989

Winner: The Heidi Chronicles, by Wendy Wasserstein

Finalists: Butterfly, by David Henry Hwang
The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson

1988

Winner: Driving Miss Daisy, by Alfred Uhry

Finalists: Boy’s Life, by Howard Korder
Talk Radio, by Eric Bogosian

1987

Winner: Fences, by August Wilson

Finalists: A Walk in the Woods, by Lee Blessing
Broadway Bound, by Neil Simon

1985

Winner: Sunday in the Park With George, by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine

Finalists: The Dining Room, by A.R. Gurney Jr.
The Gospel at Colonus, by Lee Breuer and Bob Telson

1984

Winner: Glengarry Glen Ross, by David Mamet

Finalists: Fool for Love, by Sam Shepard
Painting Churches, by Tina Howe

1983

Winner: Night, Mother, by Marsha Norman

Finalists: True West, by Sam Shepard

1982

Winner: A Soldier’s Play, by Charles Fuller

1981

Winner: Crimes of the Heart, by Beth Henley

1980

Winner: Talley’s Folly, by Lanford Wilson

1979

Winner: Buried Child, by Sam Shepard

1978

Winner: The Gin Game, by Donald L. Coburn

1977

Winner: The Shadow Box, by Michael Cristofer

1976

Winner: A Chorus Line, by Michael Bennett, James Kirkwood, Jr., Marvin Hamlisch, Nicholas Dante and Edward Kleban

1975

Winner: Seascape, by Edward Albee

1973

Winner: That Championship Season, by Jason Miller

1971

Winner: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds, by Paul Zindel

1970

Winner: No Place To Be Somebody, by Charles Gordone

1969

Winner: The Great White Hope, by Howard Sackler

1967

Winner: A Delicate Balance, by Edward Albee

1965

Winner: The Subject Was Roses, by Frank D. Gilroy

1962

Winner: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, by Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows

1961

Winner: All The Way Home, by Tad Mosel

1960

Winner: Fiorello!, by Jerome Weidman, George Abbott, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick

1959

Winner: J.B., by Archibald Macleish

1958

Winner: Look Homeward, Angel, by Ketti Frings

1957

Winner: Long Day’s Journey Into Night, by Eugene O’Neill

1956

Winner: Diary of Anne Frank, by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich

1955

Winner: Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams

1954

Winner: The Teahouse of the August Moon, by John Patrick

1953

Winner: Picnic, by William Inge

1952

Winner: The Shrike, by Joseph Kramm

1950

Winner: South Pacific, by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan

1949

Winner: Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller

1948

Winner: A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams

1946

Winner: State of the Union, by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay

1945

Winner: Harvey, by Mary Chase

1943

Winner: The Skin of Our Teeth, by Thornton Wilder

1941

Winner: There Shall Be No Night, by Robert E. Sherwood

1940

Winner: The Time of Your Life, by William Saroyan

1939

Winner: Abe Lincoln in Illinois, by Robert E. Sherwood

1938

Winner: Our Town, by Thornton Wilder

1937

Winner: You Can’t Take It With You, by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman

1936

Winner: Idiots Delight, by Robert E. Sherwood

1935

Winner: The Old Maid, by Zoe Akins

1934

Winner: Men in White, by Sidney Kingsley

1933

Winner: Both Your Houses, by Maxwell Anderson

1932

Winner: Of Thee I Sing, by George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind and Ira Gershwin

1931

Winner: Alison’s House, by Susan Glaspell

1930

Winner: The Green Pastures, by Marc Connelly

1929

Winner: Street Scene, by Elmer L. Rice

1928

Winner: Strange Interlude, by Eugene O’Neill

1927

Winner: In Abraham’s Bosom, by Paul Green

1926

Winner: Craig’s Wife, by George Kelly

1925

Winner: They Knew What They Wanted, by Sidney Howard

1924

Winner: Hell-Bent Fer Heaven, by Hatcher Hughes

1923

Winner: Icebound, by Owen Davis

1922

Winner: Anna Christie, by Eugene O’Neill

1921

Winner: Miss Lulu Bett, by Zona Gale

1920

Winner: Beyond the Horizon, by Eugene O’Neill

1918

Winner: Why Marry?, by Jesse Lynch Williams

The post Pulitzer Prize Winning Plays appeared first on StageMilk.

Home, I’m Darling

Laura Wade (2018)

Laura Wade’s seventh play has been nothing short of a revelation. With six nominations and a win for best play at the 2019 Olivier awards, it swept the field on its debut. The synopsis reads: ‘Judy is a picture-perfect ‘50s housewife. She spends her days making the perfect devilled eggs, mixing the perfect Screwdrivers and being the perfect homemaker to her husband Johnny. They’re totally happy with their pastel-hued life. The only problem is, it’s not the 1950s, it’s now, and Judy and Johnny’s dream world is starting to come apart at the perfectly sewed seams.’ A brilliant comedy about gender, nostalgia and the modernity it’s well worth a read.

Labour of Love

James Graham (2017)

With parallels to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, James Graham’s Labour of Love plots the journey of a British politician and his key adviser over a 25 year period. Taking into account cultural shifts, societal changes and the misfortune of politics Labour of Love drew big crowds and even bigger names on its debut on the West End. With an original cast of Martin Freeman, Tasmin Greig and Rachel Stirling, the play was a huge hit. Fast-paced and extremely witty Labour of Love is well worth a read for all the politics fans out there.

The Play that Goes Wrong

Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields (2015)

Oh man, this play is hilarious. I had the fortune of being an usher in a Sydney theatre that had his show on for an entire month. Every single night I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Following an ill-fated performance by an amateur theatre company of a fictitious murder-mystery play loosely based on The Mousetrap the amateur company putting it on must go through hell to complete their performance. Literally everything that could go wrong in a play, actors being knocked unconscious, the set falling down, tech crew finding themselves in onstage roles, all of it and more happens in this one disaster of a performance. Side-splittingly funny The Play That Goes Wrong is an absolute delight to watch, read or perform.

Crocodile Fever

Meghan Tyler (2019)

Armagh, Northern Ireland, 1989. Wayward IRA combatant Fianna kicks in the window of her family’s pristine kitchen, much to the horror of her sister Alannah within. She’s heard that their Da’ has finally kicked the bucket, and has shown up to drink and sing and celebrate the old bastard’s death. Only problem is, he’s still alive and kicking upstairs… Crocodile Fever exploded upon release, being hailed as a sharp, feminist Tarantino film on stage. Full of 80s tunes, gin, chainsaws and inherited trauma, it’s a brilliant piece of comedy. And that’s to say nothing of the shocking ending we wouldn’t dare to spoil here.

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons

Sam Steiner (2015)

Yep, you read the title right and nope, it’s no typo. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is a two-hander about the relationship between a lawyer and musician, in a world where the amount of words people can speak are limited by government decree each day. What do we do when our basic need to communicate is so heavily limited? It’s a high-concept piece that made a pleasing ripple in independent and festival theatre scenes internationally. The right mix of heartfelt, hilarious and provoking, give this oddball of a show a read and thank us later.

Hand to God

Robert Askins (2011)

Hand to God is a blasphemous, hilarious look at organised religion in America. It centres around a puppet club at a small Texas church, where a shy teenager’s sock puppet pal Tyrone becomes possessed by the devil. As Tyrone wreaks havoc in the lives of the characters, they are forced to question whether or not the sins of the puppet are really that of the puppeteer. The piece begins and ends with a religious sermon from a foul-mouthed, sex-obsessed sock. And if that’s not enough to convince you, know that Hand to God has gone from strength-to-strength in productions around the world, including a run on Broadway and five Tony noms. Amen!

The Aliens

Annie Baker (2010)

‘At least one third of this play should be silent, uncomfortably so’ says the now-famous note in Annie Baker’s playtext. The Aliens, with its three trash-talking protagonists and its whole-lotta-nothing plot, won’t tickle everybody—in fact, it’s as divisive a play as any of her other, lauded works. But within its liberal pauses and deadpan dialogue is a comic masterpiece waiting to be brought to life by actors with the gall to make these people feel, well, human. You don’t just read or watch Baker, as much as you meditate on the experience. Let your mind glaze over and The Aliens into your brain.

Fat Pig

Neil LaBute (2004)

Back in ‘05 Fat Pig didn’t actually win the Olivier award, but much like Australia’s favourite second place son, Shannon Knoll, it has gone on to have a much longer shelf life than it’s competitors. When Tom falls in love with a plus-sized librarian, he must decide if he is ready to defend her against his friends making fun of her behind her back or stand up to his friends and the social norms of weight and gender. Drenched in social commentary, Fat Pig is a comedy for the social media era, before the social media era had even begun. With seasons that have run in every major theatre scene, Fat Pig is a modern classic and not to be missed.

The 39 Steps

Patrick Barlow (2005)

Modelled after the 1915 book and famous Hitchcock film of the same title, Barlows version of The 39 Steps becomes a comedy mostly from the ridiculous requirements it puts on the actors. With a limited cast of four, actors must jump between rapidly quick changes, sometimes playing multiple characters at the same time in increasingly ridiculous situations, to tell the original high octane spy story of The 39 Steps and hilarity ensues. The fifth longest-running play in the history of the West End, The 39 Steps is a barnstorming exercise in comedy set in 1930’s England.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Martin McDonagh (2001)

McDonagh is one of the all-time playwriting greats. His unique, vivid, extremely dark comedies are the stuff of legend and The Lieutenant of Inishmore is more of that same vein. When a truly mad INLA militiaman discovers his cat and only friend in the world Wee Thomas has been killed, he will stop at nothing, literally nothing, to get revenge. Incredibly bloody, bleak, hilarious and cutting, The Lieutenant of Inishmore has won Obie, Tony and Olivier awards and has been staged all around the world.

Yellow Face

David Henry Hwang (2007)

Yellow Face is a semi-autobiographical play by David Henry Hwang that plays out like a TED Talk mixed with a classic farce. Hwang narrates his own journey of publicly decrying the choice of a white actor portraying an Asian character in Miss Saigon, writing his own play (Face Value) inspired by the controversy of the ‘yellow face’ casting … but then accidentally hires a white actor to portray an Asian character when gearing up for the production. Truth and fiction blur as the story progresses, in a hilarious and entertaining look at race, the entertainment business and the personal morals (or lack thereof) of the artist.

Boston Marriage

David Mamet (1999)

Put simply, David Mamet is the man. Not since Pinter has a writer encompassed the intricacies of conversation to the extent and depth that Mamet does. Boston Marriage was written as a response to the critique that his female characters weren’t three dimensional, Boston Marriage focusses exclusively on the homosexual relationships of the female characters. Set at the turn of the 20th century, two women in a relationship must deal with love, money and social status. Viciously cutting dialogue mixed with a swathe of double entendre, Boston Marriage is one of Mamet’s best works and that is saying something!

Noises Off

Michael Frayn (1995)

In some senses the spiritual godfather of The Play that Goes Wrong, Noises Off is a hilarious comedy about what happens behind the scenes of a play. Set backstage of a terrible fictional sex-farce called ‘Nothing On’, the play takes place at the dress rehearsal, a Wednesday matinee and one of the final performances of the show. In the gaps between these fictional performances, the cast gets intertwined in relationships, their show goes to hell and back and the inevitable aphorism of the show must go on gets called into question. A hilarious play for all theatre buffs, Noises Off is a cracking read and an even better watch!

The History Boys

Alan Bennett (2005)

The History Boys is a play about the British education system, and the immense pressure heaped upon public school boys who wish to study at an Oxbridge university. While it does deal with some serious subject matter at times, the wit of the great Alan Bennett is on full display in this piece, as teacher and student alike trade barbs in the name of knowledge and excellence. In 2006, the play was adapted into an excellent film, with much of its original cast (including Richard Griffiths) returning. Very much worth your time to watch.

Lobby Hero

Kenneth Lonergan ( 2001)

Set in the lobby of a Mid-Town hotel, Jeff an ex-military man now security guard must contend with his overbearing boss, an incredibly attractive rookie cop who takes exactly zero per cent of his crap and her intense, manipulative partner. Lobby Hero is the kind of play where you instantly forget that you are watching a play at all. It all feels incredibly real, sad, funny and hopeful all at the same time. In her review of the 2018 revival, Marilyn Stasio wrote: “The play looks both kindly and critically upon the kind of characters Lonergan loves to write: working-class stiffs, generally decent people who are unexpectedly challenged by issues of ethics.” Lobby Hero is a fantastic play and should be read and watched by all people everywhere.

God of Carnage

Yasmina Reza (2006)

A family drama of epic proportions, that is simultaneously an incredibly funny comedy God of Carnage really does have it all going on. Yasmina Reza is a French playwright with an incredible insight into humanity, social structures and what limits parents will go to for the good of their children. After their two children are in a fight, the parents must sit down and attempt to work out their differences, as the dinner degenerates the four get into irrational arguments, and their discussion falls into the loaded topics of misogyny, racial prejudice and homophobia. A wonderful script and an exceptional piece of writing, God of Carnage is not to be missed!

So they were my top 10 comedies, but they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to great comedic plays! Here are some others that are really worth a look and we will keep adding to this list over time.

Other Great Contemporary Comedy Plays

• NSFW – Lucy Kirkwood (2012)
• Fleabag – Phoebe Walter-Bridge (2020)
• Emilia – Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (2020)
• Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour – Lee Hall (2017)
• The Upstart Crow – Ben Elton (2020)
• Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike -Christopher Durang (2012)
• Awkward Conversations with Animals I’ve Fucked – Terry Eastham (2019)
• White Pearl – Anchuli Felicia King (2019)
• Single Asian Female – Michelle Law (2018)
• Black is the New White – Nakkiah Lui (2018)
• A Comedy About a Bank Robbery – Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer (2016)
• The Watsons – Jane Austen and Laura Wade (2018)
• No Pay? No Way! By Dario Fo – In a new adaptation by Marieke Hardy (2020)

Conclusion

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, a veritable smorgasbord of comedies to whet your comedic whistle. Whether you’re up for a family drama, some social commentary or just something ridiculously silly there is a play out there for you! Hopefully, you found this list useful and why not hit us up on social media @stagemilkacting with your favourite stage comedy!

The post Best Contemporary Comedy Plays appeared first on StageMilk.

1. They tried to watch a few plays and they were all terrible. So they never went back.
2. They can’t afford it. Totally sympathise!
3. They listened to some horrible readings at school and got put off. (Very common)
4. Netflix is just way too good.

However, if you are not in the habit of regularly reading or watching plays, this has to change. Reading and watching plays is non-negotiable for actors. Even for actors who have no aspirations for the stage. So if I can convince you to give it another shot, here are 16 plays that are worth reading, and might just spark a fire in you!

Updated January, 19th 2021

#1 The Crucible (Arthur Miller)

If you haven’t read or watched this all time classic, get yourself a copy (or, I will give you a free pass to watch Daniel Day Lewis in the 1996 film version). This is a play that, when done right, fires you with passion. An electrifying story of honour, hysteria, truth, bigotry, and deceit.

Side note: The Crucible was the winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play.

Honourable mention: ‘Death of Salesman’, another of Arthur Miller’s classics, could have easily made the list. It seems worlds away, but Miller’s genius is ever-present.

#2 The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde)

You would have been living under a seriously big rock to have missed this one. Performed on stages around the world, and taught in most high schools, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, is a masterclass in comedy. It’s also hilarious and an easy read. Too much fun to miss.

#3 Hamlet (William Shakespeare)

Shakespeare was always going to make the list. As the most famous playwright of all time, it would be pretty bad form to not have read his most acclaimed play. That said, it took me many years before I read Hamlet. It’s not an easy read, and boy oh boy is it long! However, this play contains many of the most beautiful passages that ever blotted paper. So suck it up, set aside a few hours and get it done. Again, there are a number of good filmed versions, if you cannot stomach trying to read it cold.

#4 Angels in America (Tony Kushner)

A modern classic that all actors should be familiar with. Rife with great scenes and monologues, this play is a modern classic for a reason. One of the most poignant pieces of theatre in the last 100 years. This masterpiece is written in two parts; the first part is definitely a must-read, but it’s worth reading both for the full experience. It is a complex, metaphorical, and a heart-wrenching symbolic examination of AIDS and homosexuality in America in the 1980s.

#5 The Rover (Aphra Behn)

The all-time classic by playwright Aphra Behn. Love, trickery and deception, forced marriage, male power, fidelity, and the excesses of sexual passion, are all themes explored in this vivid and energetic work. Aphra Behn is one of the first women in English history to earn a living through her writing. She was a true trailblazer and her work serves as a poignant reminder of all the work we missed out on as a society by denying women the opportunity to write and have their work recorded in the page of literary history. We are lucky to have this play, and aside from its historical significance, is a really fun and interesting read.

#6 A Doll’s House (Henrik Ibsen)

Ibsen is a name most actors are aware of, but unless you were forced to read his work as a student, you probably haven’t opened up a copy of one of his plays. But I promise you, A Doll’s House, though nearly 150 years old, is still as relevant and hard hitting as ever. Ibsen was a master of story structure, and though at times his work can feel a little stilted, you get lost in his wonderful storytelling.

Honourable mention – Ibsen’s other classic, ‘Hedda Gabler’, is another play worth reading if you find yourself enjoying the Norwegian playwright.

#7 The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams)

This was one of those plays that made a big impression on me when I was just getting into acting, and it still means a great deal to me today. This was Williams’ breakout play and one that will immortalise him in lists like this for centuries to come. Though often described as dream-like, the authenticity of this play’s characters will shake you to your foundation. A great play for any young performer to read.

#8 A Raisin in the Sun (Lorraine Hansberry)

The 1959 Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun was a watershed moment in theatrical history. At a time when there was perceived to be no Black Broadway audience, no commercial viability for a serious Black play, and no significant “crossover” with white audiences for a play about African Americans, this play achieved the impossible: an all-out commercial and critical success. The 29-year-old playwright subsequently won the Best Play of the Year Award from the New York Drama Critics; Hansberry was the first black author and only the fifth woman to do so.

#9 Waiting for Godot (Samuel Beckett)

This play is as famous as they come, but to sit down and read it is a challenge even for a seasoned play reader. It’s absurd, cyclical nature, makes it hard to get into. That said, it is a classic for a reason. And a play that is referenced and discussed at length. So get into it! For more on Samuel Beckett. 

#10 The Homecoming (Harold Pinter)

Pinter is one of the most unique, and well-known playwrights on this list. The Homecoming is perhaps his most famous work, but reading at least one play from his canon is imperative. His work is honest, dark and insightful. He also broke convention and created his own style of writing and theatrical language we can now refer to as “pinteresque”. This style involved using colloquial language, cliches, unpolished grammar and irregular syntax to create dialogue that sounded like everyday speech. This may not seem revolutionary now, but the very fact that most contemporary plays are written in everyday speech can be largely attributed to Pinter’s influence on the world of playwriting. He also made famous the significance of the absence of language on the rhythm of a play with what we now refer to as a “Pinter pause”.

#11 The Seagull (Anton Chekhov)

It was tough deciding which of Chekhov’s plays to add to this list, as Chekhov was such a consistently brilliant writer. Uncle Vanya and Three Sisters are two notable mentions. For me this was a personal choice, and The Seagull is a play that has always intrigued me. A master of story structure, Chekhov’s plays have so much to them. From banal comedy to grand philosophy, Chekhov has it all. Like Shakespeare, the more you read, the more is revealed. His work may not be the most riveting read if you are just getting back into plays, but he is one of the greatest playwrights of all time for a reason. It is important to seek out a good translation which captures the dry humour and translates accurately the Russian idiosyncrasies that fill his plays.

#12 Long Day’s Journey into Night (Eugene O’Neill)

This was one of the first plays I read that really affected me as an actor. A poignant family drama that so beautifully captures a domestic world. I cannot encourage actors to read this play enough! It’s long, but I assure you it’s not easy to put down. An astonishing play.

#13 Top Girls (Caryl Churchill)

Top Girls is arguably Caryl Churchill’s most well known play. It’s an intricate look at power and the abuse of power. She is one of our contemporary masters and if you are not familiar with her work, make yourself familiar. This play is produced all around the world, so keep an eye out in your city. It is very visual, with strong characters, so fantastic to see in the flesh. Caryl Churchill, and this play in particular, is revolutionary in both content and form. Its political commentary about women in power during the Thatcher administration is biting and was controversial when it premiered. In terms of form, Churchill was innovating theatrical language when she included in the play script slashes to mark out exactly when characters would come in with their line, cutting off the characters who are sometimes only halfway through what they’re saying. This is another example of a theatrical playwriting convention that is common practice that we can almost directly accredit to this writer.

#14 Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw)

Pygmalion both delighted and scandalised its first audiences in 1914. When I first read this play in 2011 I was equally delighted. A wonderfully witty reworking of the classical tale of the sculptor Pygmalion, who falls in love with his perfect female statue. However, it is also a barbed attack on the British class system and a statement of Shaw’s feminist views. This is just one of many Irish Playwrights we love at StageMilk!

Note: this play went on to be made into the well loved musical theatre classic, My Fair Lady.

Read: Best Bernard Shaw Plays

#15 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Tom Stoppard)

A hilarious, existential, tragi-comedy which takes place mainly “in the wings” of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, exploring the lives of two minor characters, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This is a hilarious read, and even more fun to experience on stage. A witty, sharp and lively read that I encourage reading slowly. Tom Stoppard’s intellect is sometimes hard to keep up with, but you will be smarter for having read this play. 

#16 Mother Courage and Her Children (Bertolt Brecht)

So I’m a little embarrassed, as I have never read this play, however, there are few playwrights discussed more in classrooms and workshops than Bertolt Brecht. If you aren’ familiar with his work, get familiar. His plays I think are better watched than read due to their style, but if there’s no Brecht on in your town, get thee to a library!

Why do I need to read plays?

You may have reached the end of this article with a much longer reading list than expected and a question on your mind: Why exactly do I need to read these plays?

A good knowledge of the theatrical canon can be inspiring. Most people grow up surrounded by a lot of film and television, but not as much theatre. And so, your idea of what acting may come rather exclusively from what you see in the world of screen; this can often result in young actors who don’t understand the mechanisms of acting for the stage. This is also why you should see theatre, and brilliant performers in particular, whenever you get the chance. Reading plays, and reading widely, gives you the awareness of the broad spectrum of what may be required of you as an actor in a stage production.

As you may have noticed when reading through this article, many famous plays are famous because they did something new or different with theatrical convention or language. Whether that’s in introducing colloquial language, dictating pauses and cut-offs, or creating unique language styles, great writers are great innovators. As an actor, the more familiar you are with these styles and conventions, the quicker you will be able to identify them in a script or even an audition piece. It also helps you communicate with your co-actors, writers, and your director in the rehearsal room. Though this may feel gate-keepy, you don’t want to be the only actor who has no idea what’s going on when a director references “a Pinter pause”.

Reading plays will also keep you curious, and keep you active, in between productions or auditions. Much like an athlete who has been told to use visualisation when they can’t be physically training, as you read a play you can activate the same parts of your creative mind and soul as you would when in rehearsals. We can’t always be performing, or in rehearsals, but we can stay active in our growth as an actor.

Happy reading everyone, see you on the other side!

I would love to hear your favourite plays. So if you have read anything great recently send me an email, or message us on Facebook or Instagram. I always love getting great play recommendations. 

The post 16 Plays It’s Embarrassing You Haven’t Read appeared first on StageMilk.

Bovell grew up in Western Australia. He studied his undergraduate at the University of Western Australia, before moving to Melbourne to study at the prestigious Victorian College of Arts (Australian Drama Schools).

Over his career as a playwright he has won a series of awards including an AWGIE for Speaking in Tongues, and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for When the Rain Stops Falling. Bovell has also written for film and some of his notable works include Lantana, and Blessed, two fantastic Australian Films. 

Best Andrew Bovell Plays

#1 When the Rain Stops Falling

#2 Speaking in Tongues

#3 The Secret River

#4 Who’s Afraid of the Working Class?

#5 After Dinner

The goal of these pages is to give you a starting point for a playwrights work. Please do yourself a favour and read one, or all, of these plays. Reading plays is vital for actors.

Andrew Bovell is featured on our list of best Australian playwrights. We also have lists of best playwrights throughout history.

The post Best Andrew Bovell Plays appeared first on StageMilk.