Oh, the Drama!
A Collection of Plays for Drama Queens
All the world’s a stage, so channel your inner thespian with this star-studded collection of classic and contemporary plays. As always, we put vocabulary center stage: use our curated lists to master the essential words you’ll need to receive a standing ovation. Bravo!
HamiltonThe musical Hamilton is a phenomenon. Combining the techniques and beats of rap with the biography of the Founding Father on the ten-dollar bill, Hamilton has taken Broadway by storm and is a Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama.
A Raisin in the SunIn the 1940s, a working class African-American family in Chicago must decide how to best spend a ten-thousand dollar insurance payout.
The CrucibleThis scathing dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials is also an allegory of Senator Joseph McCarthy's pursuit of Communists in the 1950s.
Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildHarry Potter now has children of his own, but when his son Albus begins school at Hogwarts, it seems that the past is returning to haunt them both.
William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon."
ArcadiaSet in a British country house, this award-winning play shifts between the early 19th century and the late 20th century and explores science, truth, and the relationship of past and present.
A Doll's HouseNora Helmer appears to be a happy wife and mother — but when someone from her past threatens to reveal a devastating secret, Nora must reevaluate the assumptions she made about her marriage.
AntigoneAfter defying her uncle, the king of Thebes, Antigone is sentenced to death. This classical tragedy, translated from the Greek by Francis Storr, explores the tension between duty and family.
Cat on a Hot Tin RoofThis Pulitzer Prize-winning play dramatizes a single evening in the life of the Pollitts, a fractured Mississippi family.
Death of a SalesmanIn this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Willy Lohman is weary of his life as a traveling salesman and tormented by his failure to achieve his dreams.
Our TownIn this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, many characters, including a Stage Manager who takes on several roles, use imaginary props and pantomime to portray life and death in the small town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire.
Death and the King's HorsemanSet in Nigeria, this play depicts the destruction and chaos that are unleashed when tribal ritual and the English legal system collide.
Doctor FaustusIn this tragedy, a German doctor summons a devil named Mephistophilis and trades his soul for power. Read the full text here.
FencesSet against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play follows former baseball player Troy Maxson as he tries to find his place in the world and navigate troubled relationships with his wife and son.
Inherit the WindBased on real-life events, this courtroom drama explores what happens when a Tennessee schoolteacher is put on trial for teaching evolution.
Oedipus the KingWhen a plague ravages the city of Thebes, Oedipus hears a prophecy that begins to unravel everything he thought was true.
Oedipus at ColonusThough written last, this play in Sophocles' Theban Cycle takes place between the events of Oedipus the King and Antigone and focuses on the blind king's philosophical understanding of his fate. Learn these words from the translation by Francis Storr.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are DeadTwo minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet become the stars of their own play, a meditation on chance, fortune, and the inevitability of fate.
PygmalionIn this play inspired by the Greek myth of Pygmalion, Professor Henry Higgins bets that he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a poor flower seller, into a cultured and genteel lady.
The Diary of Anne FrankThis dramatic adaptation of the diary of a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis won both a Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
A Streetcar Named DesireIn this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Blanche DuBois, a faded Southern belle, is driven to madness by her brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski.
The Miracle WorkerBased on the autobiography of Helen Keller (The Story of My Life), this play explores how teacher Annie Sullivan helps a deaf and blind child develop the skills she needs to cope and to communicate.
The Duchess of MalfiMoney, power, and love destroy a noble family in this semi-historical tragedy by John Webster. Learn these words that first shook The Globe Theater in 1614. Read the full text here.
The Glass MenagerieAmanda Wingfield clings to her memories of her youth while living with her two children, Laura and Tom. When Tom brings a friend home for dinner, the family's precarious balance is disrupted.
The Importance of Being EarnestJack and Algernon — two bachelors in 19th-century England — use false identities to get what they want — and get into trouble — in this comedy by Oscar Wilde.
Lady Windermere's FanIn this play, Oscar Wilde explores the relationship between a husband and wife who each have reason to suspect the other of being unfaithful.
Prometheus UnboundFirst published in 1820, this lyrical drama tells the story of how Prometheus is freed from his imprisonment after he defies the gods by giving fire to humans.
Twelve Angry MenThe trial is over, and now the members of the jury hold a man's fate in their hands. Nearly everyone is convinced the defendant is guilty—everyone except Juror 8. He tries to convince the other jurors to acknowledge their preconceptions and examine the case with fresh eyes.
Waiting for GodotA Tragicomedy in Two ActsIn this classic absurdist play, Vladimir and Estragon discuss their strangely monotonous lives while they wait for someone named Godot.
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enufIn Shange's groundbreaking "choreopoem," a series of African-American women, identified only by the colors they wear, deliver monologues about their lives.
TriflesWhen a woman is arrested for murdering her husband, her friends must decide whether to turn over evidence that could sway the case against her.
The Laramie ProjectDrawing on real-life interviews, journals, and transcripts, this play reflects on the life and murder of college student Matthew Shepard.
Arms and the ManAfter the Serbo-Bulgarian War, a young woman is torn between her war hero fiancé and a Swiss mercenary.
All My SonsIn the aftermath of World War II, two families come to terms with their involvement in the manufacture of faulty airplane parts that caused the deaths of many soldiers.
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