Euripides was one of the most well-known playwrights of ancient Greece. The treatment? 23. If you have the mental space however, this insightful play is well worth a read. Civil war is raging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mama Nadi is trying to keep her head above water. Robin Hood is (and has always been) Maid Marian in disguise, and leads a motley group of Merry Men (few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John. Her rival, Hotshot, wants to sabotage her success, which results in a fast-paced story of NASCAR drivers and their kooky fans, all in pursuit of high-octane glory. Playwright: Heidi SchreckLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Most people, when you mention theatre, think of the classics: A Streetcar Named Desire, The Importance of Being Earnest, Hamlet, Tartuffe, Uncle Vanya, Waiting for Godot . By Jex Butterworth. The Zimbabwean-American writes stories about strong women and has won an Obie, Outer Critics Circle Award, Sam Norkin Award and a Tony nomination for the work she's done. If Martin can sign them he can get the money. The tension and comedy grow as they struggle to take wing for the last time. But at what price? Related: A Young Woman Endures the Civil War in This Historical Fiction Novel Amazon Apple Books Barnes & Noble You might remember Quiara Alegra Hudes from her play Eliot, a Soldiers Fugue; in this follow-up, she again tackles the struggles of soldiers returning from war. Heroes of the Fourth Turning (2019) For those of you that don't know, Juliet is the leading lady of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Hanna (2011) When Franklins mother arrives, full of disapproval, conflict ensues. Then comes Act 2 the action begins again, this time observed and commented on by a group of white characters. This debut play from playwright-of-the-minute Jez Butterworth (Jerusalem, The Ferryman) is a dream for a university aged actors. Monroe's iconic rendition of "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend". Four powerful short plays for powerful people! The Oldest Boy: A Play in Three Ceremonies by Sarah Ruhl (US/UK)(Drama / 1f, 4m)In this moving exploration of parenthood, an American mother and a Tibetan father have a three-year-old son believed to be the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama. Instead of the poker party that begins the original version, Ms. Madison has invited the girls over for an evening of Trivial Pursuit. Playwright: Katori HallLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. She challenges the. She is also the esteemed winner of a BAFTA for Random, (2010) adapted for Channel Four from its run at the Royal Court. She brings with her not only vivid memories of Afghanistan, but painful burns that have left her physically and emotionally scarred. Diane C. McPhail composes a complex portrait of life in the American South at the height of the Civil War, with an outspoken young woman remaining firm in her convictions at a time when such behavior from women was looked down upon. Add in a cleaning lady who can see the future, and you have the recipe for a good time. It follows a group of opinionated Catholic conservatives theyre intellectuals, so the discourse wont leave you feeling bereft of brain cells as they reunite in their Wyoming college town. Rosalind in As You Like it and Viola in Twelfth Night both dress as men. During the 2019 New York run, Vox called it the most controversial show on Broadway. Slave Play got 12 Tony nominations an impressive feat for any playwright, but a particularly exceptional one considering that Harris wrote the play during his first year at Yale. In a symbiotic battle of wills, they delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness, and essential self. Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog (US/UK)(Dramatic Comedy / 3f, 1m)After suffering a major loss while he was on a cross-country bike trip, 21 year-old Leo seeks solace from his feisty 91 year-old grandmother Vera in her West Village apartment. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (US)(Drama / 1f) In this dramatic adaptation of her award-winning, bestselling memoir (which The New York Times called "an indelible portrait of loss and griefa haunting portrait of a four-decade-long marriage), Joan Didion transforms the story of the sudden and unexpected loss of her husband and their only daughter into a stunning and powerful one-woman play. These details form an intriguing backdrop for a dramatic look at idealism, power and the strength it takes to shape the destiny of a nation. Playwright: Rolin JonesLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl (US/UK)(Dramatic Comedy / 2f, 5m)Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. When the patriarch disappears, however, the crew gathers, and the truth bubbles hilariously to the surface. Glorie is tense, unhappy and guilt-ridden, her only child having been killed in an auto accident when she was driving. What would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance? Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) 14.) Eva Adler's Monologue From 'The American Plan'. Hes a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer and shes a free spirit always looking for the latest kick. If youre looking for witty contemporary plays to read, its hard to do better than Becky Shaw. Lettice and Lovage by Peter Shaffer (US/UK)(Comedy / 3f, 3m)Lettice Duffet, an expert on Elizabethan cuisine and medieval weaponry, is an indefatigable but daffy enthusiast of history and the theatre. This madcap comedy is laugh-out-loud funny. Its Christmas, and four you guessed it straight white men have gathered in their middle-class Midwestern home to celebrate. Based on the wild life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, I Am My Own Wife is a one-person play about a German transvestite who lived from 1928-2002. by James Kirkwood (US)(Comedy / 3f, 3m)Eager beaver producer Martin Klemmer, a wheeler-dealer if ever there was one, has uncovered a terrific commercial script - 'Star Wars: The Play'. Chasing Manet by Tina Howe (US/UK)(Comedy / 4f, 3m)A rebellious painter from a distinguished family in Boston and an ebullient Jewish woman with a huge adoring family form an unlikely bond. King Liz by Fernanda Coppel (US/UK)(Drama / 3fm, 3m)Sports agent Liz Rico has money and an elite client roster but a woman in a mans industry has to fight to stay on top. Header image: Broadway production of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson (Julieta Cervantes). A forty-five-year friendship they agitated the nation, they agitated each other, and, in doing so, they helped shape the Constitution and the course of American history. If you want a hard-to-find contemporary play, look no further than On Every Link a Heart Does Dangle; or Owed. This contemporary play is infused with Halls natural, easy style; youre almost certain to recognize the endearing characters. The dark secrets of a Catholic school come to the surface in this deep, moving contemporary play from John Patrick Shanley. Theater has always been a sign of the times and we are living through an unprecedented period of social awakening and unrest. Plus, the indomitable Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Frances Ha) has written and directed a new take on this classic tale coming to the silver screen this holiday season. Below is a tip of the wonderful iceberg of plays by women. Playwright: Suzan-Lori ParksLicensing: Dramatists Play Service, Its 7 minutes after midnight, and 15-year-old Christopher Boone has made a horrifying discovery his neighbors dog has been murdered with a garden fork. Text Kim Cole #Matter 0 This list is dedicated to contemporary plays that should grace every actor's shelf or at least be read and familiarized. Men's Journal is a rugged and refined lifestyle publication covering the coolest new gear, luxury and adventure travel, food and drink, health and fitness, and more. The script is nuanced and heart-rending, offering an in-depth look at privilege of all kinds. Conversation and arguments rise and fall as the cast processes the horrifying events and the broader implications on the world at large. Stage Kiss captures Sarah Ruhls singular voice. Plays For Two Women. A film passes the Bechdel Test if it has: two named female characters. And if their new routine is good enough, theyll claw their way to the top at Nationals in Tampa Bay. Energetic and fast-paced, this modern play follows CEO Jeffrey Skilling through the companys wild rise and fall. The Cemetery Club by Ivan Menchell (US/UK)(Dramatic Comedy / 4f, 1m)Three Jewish widows meet once a month for tea before going to visit their husbands graves. Addiction, trauma, and family relationships intertwine as in life painting a crushing picture of people who are simply trying to hang on. The title might be pithy, but A Girl in School Uniform (Walks Into A Bar) is anything but a comedy. When youre in the right headspace, its a rich and rewarding journey. Look out for a production at a university near you Doubt has become one of the most popular contemporary plays for college students. During the opening night performance, the murders continue. You've put MetaFilter on the road to Revival! It's dark, wickedly funny, and brimming with tension. Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man. The curious structure is a surprisingly effective way to illuminate issues of racial disparity and prejudice. The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder (US/UK)(Comedy / 7f, 9m)Horace Vandergelder, a wealthy merchant in nineteenth-century Yonkers, NY, decides to take a wife and employs a matchmaker, Mrs. Dolly Levi. Pia, from the New Zealand movie Whale Rider. But she has two lacquered daughters, her own Regan and Goneril, who are covetous of the family fortune and resent the manner in which she is enjoying it. But when a beloved computer science professor suddenly disappears, can Doreen trust her friends with her inner squirrel so she can save the day? Thats reflected in contemporary plays, which offer heartbreaking insights and breathtaking hilarity in equal measure. Ida is sweet tempered and ready to begin a new life; Lucille is a feisty embodiment of the girl who just wants to have fun; and Doris is priggish and judgmental, particularly when Sam the butcher enters the scene. The ingenue has her time and place, but womens stories extend beyond tales of young innocents. Silent Sky- Lauren Gunderson (4w,1m) --Could double cast if you have more students. . Playwright: Rajiv JosephLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. A tasty recipe of hysterical laughs, sexual innuendoes, unsuccessful repressions, and delicious discoveries. The result is a curious patchwork of sketches and scenes it works best when you accept the unusual form and enjoy the ride. Written by multiple award-winning playwright Jane Shepard. Not Dick Morris's type. Martin needs names, names like film legends Sylvia Glenn and Leatrice Monsee, for the leads. 365 Days/365 Plays isnt a single modern play as you might guess from the name, its a collection of 365 plays. Women were considered the weaker gender and always in need of being protected. Cost of Living explores the experiences of two physically disabled people, but dont expect an uplifting story of triumph the plot is firmly grounded in reality, with all of its uncomfortable and distressing truths. (Or, if Ben Brantley is to be believed, lucid to the point of simple-mindedness. Tucker green is an award-winning playwright, having established herself in the world of theatre by 2004 with Born Bad, which scooped the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer Play in that year. Euripides's plays had women as the main character because he had a sympathetic way of portraying women. When Annie tries to make good on her promise to her friends, she is forced to take a good look at the world that surrounds her. Inspired by Lynn Nottages interviews with real-life survivors in Africa, the story explores the impossibly complex and questionable decisions that women must make to survive in a world destroyed by men. This is a tale of sibling rivalry the kind that comes with devastating consequences. Playwright: David Henry HwangLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. Playwright: Caryl ChurchillLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Its not uplifting the characters anger and bitterness jump off the page but its certainly illuminating. This Pulitzer-winning play isnt saccharine or melodramatic, but heartbreakingly honest; anyone who has ever walked (or crawled) through the valley of the shadow will find connection to the emotional story. Playwright: Tim J. LordLicensing: Not available (read an excerpt). Romance With Strong Contemporary Females. His death sparks a conversational wake that includes everything from arguments over politics to when each sibling realized that they grew up. Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda television series) Beka Valentine (Andromeda television series) Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie and television series created by Joss Whedon) Zoe . You might recognize Quiara Alegra Hudes name she wrote the book for the musical In the Heights. Grace, a feisty 90-year-old cancer patient, has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her beloved homestead cottage to die alone. He wants to sell an old piano that has been in his family for generations, but he shares ownership with his sister and it sits in her living room. And for the sexism of these chauvinist drivers? Check out these 30 titles featuring strong women ranging in age, temperament and position. My Tweets Tag: strong female characters The Spanish Tragedy - Act One, Scenes 3-5: "They reck no laws that meditate revenge" Scene Three: In the Portuguese Court, the Viceroy of Portugal mourns his son, Prince Baltazar, who he believes was killed in battle. Collapse by Allison Moore (US/UK)(Comedy / 2f, 2m)Hannah, tries desperately to hold the faade of her perfect life together, even as her husband, David, mysteriously calls in sick to work. All have 2-woman casts, with age flexible roles, and each play, in very different ways, looks at the tender, funny, sometimes harrowing search for meaning. (Maybe a little too sentimental, but that can be forgiven considering the source material.) Jackie Gleason certainly went above and beyond to measure up to that sobriquet. Its largely a one-woman show playwright Heidi Schreck performed in the original productions that examines issues that face women. She longs to find her birth mother in China, so she creates a robot twin named Jenny Chow to tackle the quest on her behalf. More goes down in the session than music in this riveting portrayal of rage, racism, the self-hate, and exploitation. 3. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin? Ma Raineys Black Bottom by August Wilson (US/UK)(Drama / 2f, 8m)It's 1927 in a rundown studio in Chicago where Ma Rainey is recording new sides of old favorites. . Life imitates Art. My Fair Lady 11. Ladies Choice! Playwright: David HarrowerLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. Because it feels like this is Wendy Wasserstein's bag. Playwright: Phil PorterLicensing: Concord Theatricals, If youre tired of violence against women being used as a plot device in theater, film, and TV, Revolt, She Said, Revolt Again is a must-read. After he casually comes out as gay at a press conference, Lemming believes everything will be fine. Last Of The Red Hot Lovers 3. Without being heavy handed or boring, Schreck tackles everything from abuse to the people who are ignored by the Constitution (hint: its most of us). Large Cast Suggestions for Female Heavy Plays (Part 1) : PerformerStuff More Good Stuff It appears that you are outside of North America. re: Plays with mainly female characters. Bunny 10. And Betty keeps using a small hand mirror to stare into parts of herself shes never examined. The Flick is a monster of a play; it runs for 3 hours. As someone who spends a fair amount of time complaining on the internet that there aren't enough female heroes out there, this may seem a strange and out of character thing to say. The script offers an intimate look at the actors and the challenges of the day in each production. By Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore (US/UK)(Comedy / 3f, 7m)A cast of has-been actors plan to revive their careers in "Drop Dead!," a potboiler murder mystery directed by "Wonder Child of the Broadway Stage" Victor Le Pewe. Ariane Lange 4.. Photo: 2018 Playwrights Horizons . The body of Quinns brother, who disappeared after Quinn left the group, has turned up, and the IRA wants to avoid any accusations. The script, which is designed to feel improvised, has a bit of a Leslie Knope vibe. Eleven ( Millie Bobby Brown) in Stranger Things . Playwright: Jackie Sibblies DruryLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. 15 Best Short Plays with Strong Female Lead DAMAGED GOODS bisexual, angry, sad, strong, sensitive, scared, fierce, talented . War Horse is about you guessed it a horse that goes to war. Uma Thurman is, for lack of a better word, totally badass. Get the book. Its an intense, uncomfortable look at the way women are treated, both in this sort-of futuristic place, but also in our modern world. Perfect for auditions or class. Day after day they struggle with infertility, and Hannah herself is on the verge of being laid off. Ugly Lies the Bone by Lindsey Ferrentino (US/UK)(Drama / 3f, 2m)Newly discharged soldier Jess has finally returned to her Florida hometown. 25. Beatrice is one of the most brilliantly witty and straight talking of Shakespeare's female characters. When two actors with a history are thrown together as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930s melodrama, they quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage follows them offstage. Emotion, history, and passion combine in this remarkable theatrical accomplishment. Shakespeare's strong-willed women From the ruthlessness and ambition of Lady Macbeth and Margaret of Anjou to the confidence and wit of Rosalind, Viola and Portia it is often said that. When Liam stakes claim to their grandfather's Chai necklace, a vicious and hilarious brawl over family, faith, and legacy ensues. God Gave Us Aunts 7. Well, they're all played by women! Playwright: Robert OHaraLicensing: Concord Theatricals. The landscape of modern theater is expansive and often bizarre; you never know what youre going to stumble upon. As a tour guide at Fustian House, one of the least stately of Londons stately homes, she theatrically embellishes its historical past, ultimately coming up on the radar of Lotte Schon, an inspector from the Preservation Trust. Witty and charmingly outlandish, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow offers a fresh, surprisingly insightful take on the human vs. technology theme. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story. volcanic iceland epic trip And of course, I love all sorts of female characters who exhibit great resilience and courage. In a play, character's action description and thought are revealed by _____ or _____. Mother of the Maid by Jane Anderson (US/UK)(Drama / 4f, 3m) The story of Joan of Arc's mother, a sensible, hard-working, God-fearing peasant woman whose faith is upended as she deals with the baffling journey of her odd and extraordinary daughter. Playwright: Sarah RuhlLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Painting Churches 4. Eve Dallas 2018 Books: Dark in Death and Leverage in Death by J.D. Write Her Like She's Human. Her goddaughter thinks she has actually fallen in love with a local fisherman while her dashing friend believes she is finally ready to accept his proposal. In 1859, an Irish playwright wrote a play (The Octoroon) about slavery in the United States; An Octoroon tells the story of a modern playwright trying to rewrite the original show. Their creativity, depth, and characters have set a new standard for playwrights for generations to come. This sweet show is funny and good-hearted; balm for any struggling soul. Each of our picks was written after 2000; youll find the date after each title, as well as a link to the license. August Osage County is one of the most bracing and applauded contemporary plays in recent history. But the hilarity remains the same. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Since the men have failed the city, Mellie and the other women must become its saviors. Check out these 30 titles featuring strong women ranging in age, temperament and position. Antagonism between a gay man and the wife of a Southern Baptist minister gives way to profound compatibility as they swing dance, tango, foxtrot, and cha-cha while sharing barbs and intimacies along with the dance steps. After premiering at the Edinburgh International Festival, this play went on to win the Olivier award for Best New Play and the Tony for Best Revival of a Play. Strong female characters are usually considered a desirable thing in geek media such as science fiction, comic books, etc. Sale 2,895 Reviews Heart Is A Lonely Hunter Playwright: Will ArberyLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Marjorie Prime by Jordan Harrison (US/UK)(Drama / 2f, 2m)Its the age of artificial intelligence, and 85-year-old Marjorie a jumble of disparate, fading memories has a handsome new companion whos programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. Breadcrumbs by Jennifer Haley (US/UK)(Drama / 2f)A reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography. Hmm. Join 8,027 readers in helping fund MetaFilter. But when shes called home to answer her mothers distress call about a marital crisis, Amandas grand plan starts to unravel. . Squirrel Girl Goes to College: A Squirrel Girl Play (Marvel Spotlight) by Karen Zacaras (US/UK)(Comedy / 3f, 1m, 14 any gender)Doreen arrives at Empire State University to make new friends and protect them from super villains by keeping her super hero identity a secret. When a record-breaking blizzard blows into town and an elderly resident disappears into the storm, everyone is brought to face their own mortality. Playwright: David Lindsay-AbaireLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. She became a central figure in the Berlin gay community. It examines the various problems in the script, discusses race as a social construct, and explores the idea of blackface (and whiteface and redface) to pinpoint exactly whats upsetting about it.

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