Author Topic: Reading Plays  (Read 6625 times)

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Joshua S.

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Reading Plays
« on: Jun 30, 2011, 08:56 am »
Hi Everyone,
I'm setting a goal for myself over the next year (and by year I mean August to August - After 16+ years of school, I still run on an academic calender) to read at least one play a week.  Not since college have I read a play that I wasn't either working on on considering working on and I would like to change that.  So I would like your opinions.  What plays do you think are important for all theatre people to have read, or what are some of your favorite plays that you have read?

Thanks for the input!

dallas10086

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #1 on: Jun 30, 2011, 09:16 am »
I gave myself the same goal in high school. I find it's easier to get a collection of works and go through that way. You also get a good idea of a playwright's style and quirks. Here's a few from my collection:

Noel Coward
Tennessee Williams
Christopher Hampton
Shakespeare
Chekov
Ibsen
O'Neill
Tom Stoppard
David Mamet
Neil Simon
Edward Albee...

I hope you have a library card. Happy reading!

planetmike

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #2 on: Jun 30, 2011, 11:06 am »
Definitely check used bookstores and garage sales for plays as well. But the library is your friend. And the interlibrary loan is really your friend!

DeeCap

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #3 on: Jun 30, 2011, 11:28 am »
Adding to the list..

Arthur Miller
August Wilson
Tony Kushner
Paula Vogel

And why not throw some Stephen Sondheim into the mix. I have to say I wasn't too familiar with his work; all I knew was that his songs were impossible to sing. I recently saw "Company" at a movie theatre and it was wonderful.

My two cents

dallas10086

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #4 on: Jun 30, 2011, 11:42 am »
Adding to the list..

Arthur Miller
August Wilson
Tony Kushner
Paula Vogel

And why not throw some Stephen Sondheim into the mix. I have to say I wasn't too familiar with his work; all I knew was that his songs were impossible to sing. I recently saw "Company" at a movie theatre and it was wonderful.

My two cents

Good additions - though I personally am not a fan of Kushner for several reasons, and I can't believe I forgot Miller - and I agree with reading the books of musicals. It's hard to get the whole story just listening to the cast album.

I would also add to the list:
Ionesco
Strindberg
Brecht
Shaw

SMdrum

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #5 on: Sep 29, 2011, 08:39 pm »
What about some more recent plays?  David Auburn, David Lindsay-Abaire, Neil LaBute, Nicky Silver, Paul Rudnick, Sarah Ruhl, and Martin McDonagh would be a few contemporary playwrights to check out.  I try to keep up on the current stuff by reading ones nominated for the Pulitzer or Best Play at the Tony Awards.  These websites have the lists of the nominees and winners:  http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Drama and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Award_for_Best_Play

maximillionx

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #6 on: Sep 29, 2011, 10:07 pm »
What about some more recent plays?  David Auburn, David Lindsay-Abaire, Neil LaBute, Nicky Silver, Paul Rudnick, Sarah Ruhl, and Martin McDonagh would be a few contemporary playwrights to check out.  I try to keep up on the current stuff by reading ones nominated for the Pulitzer or Best Play at the Tony Awards.  These websites have the lists of the nominees and winners:  http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Drama and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Award_for_Best_Play

Love Lindsey-Abaire and Ruhl...try out Alan Ayckbourn as well!

Maribeth

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #7 on: Sep 29, 2011, 10:35 pm »
Charles Mee is a personal favorite- a really interesting contemporary playwright....and he posts copies of his plays on his website. http://charlesmee.org/html/plays.html

Samazon

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #8 on: Sep 30, 2011, 01:23 am »
I'm definitely enjoying Suzan-Lori Parks right now, especially after she gave a talk at my school. 365 Days/365 Plays is a good place to start with her as the plays are 1-10 pages long.
“All things are possible until they are proved impossible and even the impossible may only be so, as of now."

missliz

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Re: Reading Plays
« Reply #9 on: Sep 30, 2011, 02:08 am »
Besides many listed above, let's get some ladies in here!

Sarah Kane
Naomi Iizuka
Carol Churchill
Wendy Wasserstein
Maria Irene Fornes
Paula Vogel

Lanford Wilson***
Steve Martin
David Greig

Seconding the 365 Plays/365 Plays as well.

« Last Edit: Sep 30, 2011, 02:13 am by missliz »
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

 

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