Exceptional Books discussion

Please begin to list the Top stage plays you've ever read here. Later we will vote on them and present the list in a separate folder.

Romeo & Juliet
Antigone
Oedipus Rex
Our Town(kind of a play, kind of a book?)
The Crucible

Goodreads Top 100 Stage Plays of All Time
Unranked/Raw Data
As of 9-21-11

1. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot
2. No Exit by JP Sartre No Exit and Three Other Plays
3. The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest
4. King Lear by Shakespeare King Lear
5. Hamlet by Shakespeare Hamlet
6. MacBeth by Shakespeare Macbeth
7. Endgame by Samuel Beckett Endgame
8. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman
9. View from a Bridge by Arthur Miller A View from the Bridge
10. Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill Mourning Becomes Electra-Complete Summary & Analysis
11. The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O'Neill The Iceman Cometh
12. The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams The Theatre of Tennessee Williams, Vol. 1: Battle of Angels / The Glass Menagerie / A Streetcar Named Desire
13. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire
14. Angels in America by Tony Kushner Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
15. Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? by Edward Albee Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
16. The Misanthrope by Moliere The Misanthrope
17. Tartuffe by Moliere Tartuffe
18. Rhinocerous by Eugene Ionesco Plays: v. 4 (Calderbooks S.) Rhinocerous, the leader, the future is in eggs
19. Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge The Playboy of the Western World and Other Plays: Riders to the Sea; The Shadow of the Glen; The Tinker's Wedding; The Well of the Saints; The Playboy ... of the Sorrows
20. Juno and the Paycock by Sean O'Casey Sean O'Casey: Plays 1: Juno and the Paycock, Within the Gates; Red Roses; Cock-a-Doodle Dandy
21. Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neil Long Day's Journey into Night: Second Edition
22. An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde An Ideal Husband
23. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde Lady Windermere's Fan
24. Salome by Oscar Wilde Salome/ Under the Hill: Oscar Wilde/Aubrey Beardsley
25. The Sea Gull by Anton Chekhov The Seagull
26. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov The Cherry Orchard
27. Faust by Goethe Faust
28. Aristophenes The Frogs Frogs and Other Plays
29. Caligula by Albert Camus Caligula and Three Other Plays
30. Le Cid by Pierre Corneille Le Cid
31. Phaedre by Jean Racine Phèdre
32. The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco The Bald Soprano and Other Plays: Bald Soprano/the Lesson/Jack or the Submission/the Chairs
33. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
34. Travesties by Tom Stoppard Travesties
35. Mother Courage by Bertolt Brecht Mother Courage and Her Children
35. Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht The Threepenny Opera
36. Blood Wedding by Frederico Garcia Lorca Blood Wedding
37. The Flies by Jean-Paul Sartre No Exit and Three Other Plays
38. The Plough and the Stars by Sean O'Casey Sean O'Casey: Plays 2: The Shadow of a Gunman, The Plough and the Stars, The Silver Tassie, Purple Dust, Hall of Healing
39. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion
40. Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw Man and Superman
41. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen A Doll's House
42. The Tempest by William Shakespeare The Tempest
43. The Quare Fellow by Brendan Behan The Complete Plays: The Hostage, The Quare Fellow, Richard's Cork Leg
44. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
45. The Ginger Man by JP Donleavy: The Play The Ginger Man
46. The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B.: The Play by JP Donleavy The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B
47. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet
48. Othello by William Shakespeare Othello
49. Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream
50. The Crucible by Arthur Miller The Crucible
51. Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen Hedda Gabler and Other Plays
52. Hurlyburly by David Rabe Hurlyburly and Those the River Keeps: Two Plays
53. Iphegenia in Aulis by Euripides Iphigenia in Aulis
54. The Oresteia by Aeschylus An Oresteia
55. Equus by Peter Schaeffer Equus
56. Medea by Euripides Medea and Other Plays
57. The Weir by Conor McPherson The Weir
58. Antigone by Sophocles Antigone
59. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Oedipus Rex
60. Our Town by Thorton Wilder Our Town
61. Dancing in Lughnasa by Brian Friel Dancing at Lughnasa
62. The Balcony by Jean Genet The Balcony
63. The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley The Boys in the Band
64. Steambath Steambath; a play
65. The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonaghThe Cripple of Inishmaan
66. Cyreno de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac
67. The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman The Children's Hour
68. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennesee Williams Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
69. The Way of the World by William Congreve The Way of the World
70. Fences by August Wilson Fences
71. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson The Miracle Worker
72. Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansbery A Raisin in the Sun and The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
73. The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest
74. Speed the Plow by David Mamet Speed-the-Plow
75. Glengarry Glen Ross by David MametGlengarry Glen Ross
76. American Buffalo by David Mamet American Buffalo
77. She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith She Stoops to Conquer and Other Comedies
78. The Skriker by Caryl Churchill The Skriker
79. 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane 4.48 Psychosis
80. Venus by Suzan Lori-Parks Venus
81. The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh The Pillowman
82. Focus by Arthur Miller Focus
83. Richard III by William Shakespeare The Tragedy of King Richard III
84. Cymbeline by William Shakespeare Cymbeline
85. Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare Troilus and Cressida
86. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night

Here are my ten favorite Shakespeare plays:

1)Hamlet
2)Macbeth
3)King Lear
4)Romeo and Juliet
5)The Tragedy of King Richard III
6)Cymbeline
7)Troilus and Cressida
8)A Midsummer Night's Dream
9)Twelfth Night
10)Othello

I am sure that my list might raise a few eyebrows. First of all, I love ALL of Shakespeare. I don't dislike any of his plays, but there are some that I like better than others. Hamlet is by far my favorite. I think it's the most well written work of literature of all time. Many people will agree with me on Hamlet, MacBeth, and King Lear, but Troilus and Cressida and Cymbeline would not usually make it into a "Shakespeare Top Ten" list, but I just love those plays.

I don't have many of his comedies on my list. I think his comedies are great, but I just prefer the tragedies and the "romances" which is the category Cymbeline is in (along with Pericles, A Winter's Tale, The Tempest, and Two Noble Kinsman.) All five of the Romances are great. Sometimes they're referred to as "Tragic-Comedies."

Troilus and Cressida is considered one of his three "problem plays" along with Measure for Measure and All's Well that Ends Well. I like his "problem plays" and his "romances" because they're a bit more complicated than the comedies.

Some other great plays:

No Exit: A Play in One Act by JP Sartre

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

A Doll's House by Henrick Ibsen

Hedda Gabler by Henrick Ibsen

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Hurlyburly by David Rabe

Iphigenia in Aulis byEuripides

and Iphigenia in Taurus by Euripides

and Tartuffe by Moliere

Barbara, what intelligent, inspired additions you have made to our list. Thank you for them.

Hi David! Thank you!!! I'd like to add more Greek tragedies, but I need to look through my bookshelf at home to remember which were my favorites (and I won't be home until much later.)

I've also read a lot of Chekhov and Arthur Miller, but I can't remember which ones were my favorites. (It's been a long time since I've read them. I studied drama for a while, so I've read a lot of plays, but unfortunately I have forgotten many of them!!!)

Your list is great!! Is your list in order of your favorites? I love the fact that Waiting for Godot and No Exit are at the top of your list!! I need to re-read Waiting for Godot. Now I know who to ask about it if I find it confusing!!!

This is a fantastic group! You and Colleen are doing such a great job with this group. The lists are amazing!!!

For now Colleen and I are trying to identify good candidates and let the Goodreads audience rank them. We're getting really great advice from sophisticated Goodreaders like you. We value the benefit of your perspective.

The Oresteia: Agamemnon; The Libation Bearers; The Eumenides by Aeschylus. The only complete trilogy from Ancient Greece that has survived.

Equus by Peter Shaffer
The Tempest By Shakespeare
Medea by Euripides

Dear Dawn,
Excellent recommendations!
Thank you.

So creepy, but rich and interesting and nuanced: The Weir

Dear Emily,
I don't know this one but the GR reviews are strongly positive. Thank you for recommending it.

David, did you notice my few at the very TOP of the list?

Lisa wrote: "Romeo & Juliet
Antigone
Oedipus Rex
Our Town(kind of a play, kind of a book?)
The Crucible"

Dear Lisa,
Yes, perfect. Thank you.

These are all terrific...! I loved reading this play:

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel

Mar wrote: "These are all terrific...! I loved reading this play:

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel"

I saw it onstage: it was good but not sure I would consider it great. Am I wrong?

I don't know, David...I never saw this on stage..I loved the dialogue and the family. You decide.

OK, Mar, let's keep it on the list at your recommendation -- thank you.

Mar wrote: "These are all terrific...! I loved reading this play:

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel"

Friel's Translations, about the colonizing effect of the English language in Ireland, is also exceptional.

Some suggestions I've seen and enjoyed:

The Balcony - Jean Genet
The Boys in the Band - Mart Crowley
The Infernal Machine and Orpheus - Jean Cocteau

An interesting contrast to No Exit is Bruce Jay Friedman's Steambath. Some may remember a controversial PBS production of this play.

I read and saw No Exit in college. In the same book was The Flies by Sartre which I remember liking more as a read, but have not seen it performed.

Dear Kernos,
Thank you for the benefit of your insight. We'll add these new plays to the list.

We now have about 67 nominations: we are about two-thirds of the way through our journey for nominations.

I would definitely suggest a french play, Cyrano de Bergerac. It's a classic, and I loved it :)
Also, The Cripple of Inishmaan is worth reading... perhaps it belongs on the list? :)

Dear Hermione,
Yes, agree to both -- well done.

Hmmm. I find this harder than the lit. section. I think that I am more emotionally attached to plays than literature. I'll throw in these for consideration:

The Children's Hour (Hellman)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Williams)
The Way of the World (Congreve)
Fences (Wilson)

A Raisin in the Sun is just a great play overall.
The Miracle Worker is also a must-read, and its beauty and intensity are truly striking.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a great satire, as well :)

Caitlin wrote: "Hmmm. I find this harder than the lit. section. I think that I am more emotionally attached to plays than literature. I'll throw in these for consideration:

The Children's Hour (Hellman)
Cat on a ..."

and I second the motion on The Children's Hour. Very good :)
Another play just popped into my mind as I type this: Wait Until Dark. I'm not sure if it can hold its own against such striking plays as Waiting for Godot, but I wanted to put the idea out there :) For those of you who aren't familiar with it, I'd encourage you to read it-- a really good story about courage and battling evil... to put it simply :)

Speed-the-plow

Dear Team,
This list is updated as of today, September 14th. We have a good number of Shakespeare plays: I think his genius and works are pretty much common knowledge. How about lesser known and more international stage plays?

Cloud Nine or Top Girls by Caryl Churchill (I think The Skriker is a work of genius but it's inaccessible to many people)

Also 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane

And either Venus or Topdog/Underdog by Suzan Lori-Parks

Sorry for the multiple posts, I just keep thinking of more.

Dear Melissa,
OK, thanks. We'll add them.

That's fine. Thanks

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh.

Did anybody include Our Town by Thornton Wilder?

yes, it was one of the first plays mentioned and made it into all the versions of the official list :)

Sorry - I just joined here and didn't have time to read back.

Nancy,
We're happy to have you join us.
We would welcome other recommendations that you may contribute.
Cordially,
David

Focus by Arthur Miller

Oh, and She Stoops to Conquer has been added now, hasn't it?

Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "Oh, and She Stoops to Conquer has been added now, hasn't it?"

#77

David wrote: "Goodreads Top 100 Stage Plays of All Time
Unranked/Raw Data
As of 9-21-11

1. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot
2. No Exit by JP Sartre [book:No Exit and Three Othe..."

Uhhhhhhhhh, David, you accidentally added She Stoops to Conquer two times.

Tayyab/Killer of Mockingbirds/Eggman Walrus Taxman wrote: "David wrote: "Goodreads Top 100 Stage Plays of All Time
Unranked/Raw Data
As of 9-21-11

1. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot
2. No Exit by JP Sartre [book:No Exit ..."

Dear Tayyab,
Thank your for your good eyes.

The final list of the "Top 100 Stage Plays of All Time" has now posted on Listopia for your voting at:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13...

The Serious Literature Group has now uploaded three Goodreads top 100 lists of all time for literary novels, poetry and stage plays.

Thank you to Colleen and all who have contributed to these three intelligent and comprehensive lists, which should help to point many worthy, serious Goodreaders to the finest masterpieces of all time in these three genres.

Importantly, these three lists will stimulate good conversation about great books.

Way to go, Goodreaders.

David wrote: "Goodreads Top 100 Stage Plays of All Time
Unranked/Raw Data
As of 9-21-11

1. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot
2. No Exit by JP Sartre [book:No Exit and Three Othe..."

You just have an incredible taste!

Great list! This list was hard for me to vote on :) I like so many of them! I think it was difficult for me because there are some I like better than others for personal reasons while realizing that maybe there are more plays on the list more worthy of the literary vote?

For instance, Pygmalion is one of my favorite plays so it's in my top 5, but the best play written all time? Probably not for many people, including myself, if I do not regard my own personal history.

Autumn wrote: "Great list! This list was hard for me to vote on :) I like so many of them! I think it was difficult for me because there are some I like better than others for personal reasons while realizing tha..."

Sergio wrote: "David wrote: "Goodreads Top 100 Stage Plays of All Time
Unranked/Raw Data
As of 9-21-11

1. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Waiting for Godot
2. No Exit by JP Sartre [book:No Exit ..."

Agreed! There are so many great plays out there, and this is a great list which includes many of them!

Tahnk you, Tayyab.