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Before the rise of cinema, plays were the dominant medium for storytelling before live audiences. Spanning from Ancient Greece to the Renaissance, the world of theater and its playwrights have held the collective imagination of society. Figures such as Homer and Shakespeare have become timeless legends, their names echoing through history for their extraordinary contributions to literature.
Like any great cultural powerhouse, the United States has birthed its own wealth of unforgettable narratives in the form of plays. From the early 1600s to present-day performances, American playwrights have woven a rich blend of comedy, tragedy, love, and suspense, captivating theatergoers both on Broadway and beyond. Join us as we explore the ten best American-written plays, an eclectic selection sure to ignite your curiosity.
10. The Crucible – Arthur Miller
Penned in 1953, The Crucible delves into the infamous Salem Witch Trials of the 1600s, blending fact with fiction. Written during the era of ‘The Red Scare,’ Miller’s work serves as a pointed allegory for McCarthyism. Premiering at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway on January 22, 1953, it featured a cast that included E.G. Marshall, Beatrice Straight, and Madeleine Sherwood. Initially met with mixed reactions, the play ultimately triumphed, securing the Best Play Tony that year.
By 1956, The Crucible had already cemented its status as a classic and a fundamental part of American literary history. However, that same year, Miller was summoned by the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities (the ‘witch hunt’ of the time) and found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to disclose the names of others who had attended meetings with him. Despite the controversy, the play’s relevance endures across generations.
9. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams stands as one of the most influential American playwrights, and while Cat on a Hot Tin Roof might not be his most famous work, it’s arguably the most significant. Written in 1955, this three-act play explores the complexities of the Pollitt family dynamics. Themes such as societal expectations, greed, falseness, decay, sexual tension, repression, and death are central to the story. The dialogue is often presented with nonstandard spellings to capture the accents of the Southern United States.
“Like many of Williams’s works, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof explores the unraveling of a specific illusion of masculinity, in this case, one stifled by the homosexual desire it must suppress.” Williams infuses the play with his own struggles with homosexuality and alcoholism, making it ahead of its time and profoundly relevant even today.
8. Wicked – Winnie Holzman
Wicked is a musical featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is a loose adaptation of Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn draws upon L. Frank Baum’s 1900 classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its renowned 1939 film adaptation.
The original Broadway production of Wicked
In a timeless literary tradition, this story offers a compassionate perspective on a well-known villain, portraying her first as a victim and later as a hero. Wicked has seen its success grow steadily, with discussions of potential sequels underway; it continues to attract large audiences nationwide, thanks to its universal themes that resonate deeply with a diverse audience.
7. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Edward Albee
First performed in October 1962, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? won the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play and the 1962–1963 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play. The play remains a frequent feature on modern stages. The 1966 film adaptation, written by Ernest Lehman, directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis, brought the work to the silver screen.
The plot centers around a bitter, aging couple who, with the aid of alcohol, manipulate their young houseguests to fuel their anguish and emotional turmoil during a distressing night. This play remains a staple in high school and college English and Literature classes across the country. Its themes continue to resonate deeply with Americans of all generations.
6. A Raisin in the Sun – Lorraine Hansberry
A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that premiered on Broadway in 1959. The title is drawn from Langston Hughes’s poem “Harlem” (also known as “A Dream Deferred”). The narrative follows a Black family in south Chicago as they strive to improve their financial situation with an insurance payout after the death of their father.
The play tackles issues such as housing discrimination, racism, and the challenges of assimilation. The central theme revolves around the question: “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” The New York Drama Critics’ Circle named it the best play of 1959. In recent years, renowned publications like The Independent and Time Out have ranked it among the greatest plays ever written.
5. Rent – Jonathan Larson
Rent is a rock musical created by Jonathan Larson, featuring music, lyrics, and a book. It is loosely inspired by the 1896 opera La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, Luigi Illica, and Giuseppe Giacosa. The musical follows a group of financially struggling young artists as they navigate life in Lower Manhattan’s East Village during the height of Bohemian culture in Alphabet City, all while grappling with the looming crisis of HIV/AIDS.
Winning the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a cultural milestone, with its rock-infused songs and heartfelt narrative captivating audiences of all ages. The musical embodies the essence of theater, blending passion, heartache, and celebration while addressing important social issues. Its enduring popularity has made it a staple in performance spaces nationwide, spawning beloved film and TV adaptations that stand alongside the iconic original stage production.
4. Long Day’s Journey into Night–Eugene O’Neill
Long Day’s Journey into Night is a four-act play written by American playwright Eugene O’Neill between 1939 and 1941, and was first published posthumously in 1956. Recognized as O’Neill’s magnum opus and hailed as one of the finest American plays of the 20th century, it premiered on Broadway in 1956 and won the Tony Award for Best Play. O’Neill was awarded the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play, a recognition granted after his death. The work draws heavily from his own life, making it a deeply personal, autobiographical piece.
The ‘long day’ referenced in the title reflects the play’s singular setting—taking place over one intense day. In this story, O’Neill depicts a tragic summer evening at the Tyrone family’s coastal residence, where the family members wrestle with their personal addictions (to alcohol and morphine) and the emotional struggles that ensue. Though O’Neill is widely regarded as one of America’s greatest playwrights, his plays are sometimes overshadowed by his poetic works. This play stands as his final message to the public, a poignant reflection of his tumultuous relationship with them throughout his life and career.
3. Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes–Tony Kushner
Angels in America is a groundbreaking 1991 American two-part play written by Tony Kushner. Its two parts, Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, can be performed individually or together, spanning over seven hours. The play garnered numerous prestigious accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.
The first part of the play premiered in 1991, followed by the second part in 1992, with the Broadway debut in 1993. It is a deeply layered, often metaphorical exploration of AIDS and homosexuality in 1980s America. Angels in America contains mature content, including explicit sexual scenes, nudity, and adult language, addressing themes of illness, identity, and societal transformation.
The play intricately intertwines themes of politics, religion, and human relationships. It traces characters as they struggle with illness, self-discovery, and societal upheaval, all while being profoundly shaped by their interactions with supernatural beings. Though not as widely known as some other works, it stands out as perhaps the greatest and most influential American play ever written.
2. Glengarry Glen Ross–David Mamet
Glengarry Glen Ross, a gripping play by David Mamet, earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1984. The drama follows a tense two-day period in the lives of four desperate real estate agents in Chicago, who resort to deceitful and illegal methods—ranging from manipulation and flattery to bribery, threats, and even burglary—in their relentless pursuit to sell real estate to unsuspecting clients.
Based on Mamet’s own experiences working in a similar office environment, the play had its world premiere at the National Theatre in London on September 21, 1983. It later debuted on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on March 25, 1984, and ran until February 17, 1985, with 378 performances. The production earned four Tony nominations, including Best Play, Best Director, and two nominations for Best Featured Actor for Robert Prosky and Joe Mantegna, the latter of whom won the award.
This biting dark comedy revolves around a group of small-time, cutthroat real estate salesmen who are scrambling to make a living by pushing parcels of land onto unwilling buyers in their unyielding quest for a piece of the American dream.
1. Fences – August Wilson
Fences, a powerful 1985 play by American playwright August Wilson, takes place in the 1950s and is the sixth entry in Wilson’s ten-play “Pittsburgh Cycle.” Like the other plays in this cycle, Fences delves into the African-American experience, exploring themes of race relations and societal change. The play won both the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in the same year.
The development of the play began at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s 1983 National Playwrights Conference and saw its world premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1985. James Earl Jones originated the role of Troy on stage, and in the film adaptation, the role was portrayed by Denzel Washington, with Viola Davis playing the role of Rose. Wilson gained national prominence as a playwright in 1987 when his play Fences won four Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
