Plays - Suggestions?

[The_Return]

As an aspiring actor, I've been starting to get into reading more plays - both to find characters I'd like to play/monologues I'd like to have in my repertoire, and to keep as familiar as possible with the convention of theatre.

I've been reading a few lately, but my local library doesn't have much, neither do many local bookstores, and I think I'm going to have to start ordering some in. Do you guys have any suggestions?

I haven't read very many...here are a few that I've read and enjoyed:

- Shakespeare. It goes without saying that I adore the immortal Bard. Sadly, I haven't read a lot of his work. The only ones I've read full are The Tempest, Macbeth, King Lear and bits-and-pieces of Hamlet, Othello and Romeo & Juliet. Need to check out the rest for sure.

- Samuel Beckett's "Endgame". Sheer brilliance.

- Just finished "Happy Birthday Wanda June" by Kurt Vonnegut. Wonderful little piece of theatre...15-20 years down the road, I'd kill for the chance to play Harold.

- Sophocles' Oedipus trilogy. Classic stuff in every sense of the word.

- Recently I read through a collection of 3 short plays by James Leo Herlihy (Midnight Cowboy). Very strange, but cool stuff. Might try to memorize Terrible Jim Fitch, just for the challenge.

- Ibsen's A Doll's House was really interesting...should check out some more of his work.

Currently, I'm working through Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill. Just finished Act I, seems great so far.

I have a collection of stuff by Sam Sheppard sitting by my bed, but I haven't dug into it yet. He really seems like my style though, so I'm looking forward to it immensely.

Some other plays that I really love (I've actually been in these ones) are Thornton Wilder's Our Town, and Bang Bang You're Dead by William Mastrosimone. They both have a really special place in my heart.

A few others that I'm looking to check out:

No Exit - Jean-Paul Sartre
Anything by Harold Pinter
The Adding Machine – Edgar Rice
Sophistry – Jonathan M. Sherman

So, I've been rambling on and on...any suggestions for some stuff to look for?

[La Chat Noire]

I was always a big fan of Tennessee Williams' stuff. I would also recommend Oscar Wilde, Tom Stoppard, Arthur Miller, Pirandello, and Harold Pinter.

You mentioned No Exit...that was one my favorite plays I read in college...you'll have to let me know what you think.

[The_Return]

Thanks a bunch for the suggestions - I'll check 'em out ASAP!

I was in a production of one of Stoppard's plays...15 Minute Hamlet. God that was a fun show. Really versatile, too - we put it on all over the place. Toured a few nursing homes with it, heh.

I've read most of No Exit - technically, I studied it in English class last year :o - but never really sat down to read the entirety. Seems really cool though, I'll let you know when I finish it!

[neverending]

Shaw. That's all I have to say. Well, no it isn't, but Shaw is essential. He's the modern day Shakespeare. His scripts are so multi-textured and the language is wonderful. You'll find plenty of useful monologues there.

Also essential is Brecht. Brecht is responsible for theatre the way it is today. Read everything you can get by him. A man's a Man, Mother Courage, Caucasian Chalk Circle are good starting points.

Since you seem to enjoy the Absurdists, I'd recommend Ionesco. The Bald Soprano, The Chairs (one of my favorite pieces EVER) and Rhinocerous are essential.

And you must read Waiting for Godot. More has been written about this play than perhaps any other piece of literature. It is the quintessential modern play.

[The_Return]

I've heard mixed things about Shaw...a local actyor that I've worked with a few times was telling me about a production he did of Arms and the Man. The way he described it was that it's brilliant work to read or watch, but absolute torture to perform. Still, I'll have to check him out, I suppose...

Barely even heared of Brecht, but I'll be sure to look into the ones you mentioned.

My school did a production of Bald Soprano last year...I was in another play at the time, but some of my good friends were in it. Very, very cool play. I really enjoyed it and will certainly look in to more Ionesco.

I don't have any excuse for not having read Godot. I loved Endgame, so I'll get on that ASAP.

Thanks for the suggestions - I think my reading list just doubled :)

[neverending]

Shaw was such an original thinker, it would be criminal not to give him a chance. There were British productions of his main works in the 50s that were "official." Maybe check one of them out and if you like it, delve further. As for being torture to perform- there's certainly a lot of language so I can see how some might feel a bit "challenged" by his genius.

Read up a bit on Shaw & Brecht to get an inkling of how important they were to the development of modern theatre. I'm really suprised and a bit dismayed that you've been taking theatre classes and haven't heard much about Brecht. What is the world coming to!

[jenna26]

Originally Posted by La Chat Noire

I was always a big fan of Tennessee Williams' stuff.

I love Tennessee Williams, particularly A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly, Last Summer.

[ChronoGrl]

Catch up on your Shakespeare - FINISH HAMLET AND OTHELLO. Dip into his comedies - "As You Like It" and "Much Ado About Nothing." "Merchant of Venice" is iconic, though not a favorite of mine, and "Titus" is an interesting read if you want to delve into just pure revenge themes (it'll follow up Sophocles' quite well).

If you want to touch on some other "Classics," pull out some FUN Greek plays - Aristophanes: "Lysistrata" is an absolute blast.

Like NE said, you NEED to read Beckett's Waiting for Godot. It's so incredibly canonical that if you're looking to study absurdist theater (and looking at what you enjoy it appears that you are), this is a must.

Yes, Tennessee Williams is an absolute MUST and I think a good companion to Pinter and Sartre at times. "The Glass Menagerie" was the first play that I had ever read to truly move me, and his one acts create amazingly dark and gothic vignettes that can truly haunt you. I was lucky enough a couple of years ago to see a few of his "recently discovered" one acts put on. It was breathtaking.

I know it's been said, but if you love Shakespeare, then you have to read Tom Stoppard (writer of Shakespeare in Love and The 15 Minute Hamlet, among other things).

Also, one of the most moving plays that I read in college was Tony Kushner's "Angels in America." It's a truly brilliant play (and I've heard that the movie is consistent with it and well-done too).

[neverending]

It's interesting to find out how many people here are into theatre.

[Papillon Noir]

Originally Posted by The_Return

- Samuel Beckett's "Endgame". Sheer brilliance.

Ugh. That has to be the most boring play I've sat through. Granted it was a college production, but it was just awful.

That being said, I do have recommendations. :D I did like Waiting for Godot, though.

Probably, my most favorite play is Arsenic & Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. It's a farcical black comedy about these two old ladies who perform "charity work" by bumping off lonely old men. Their brother thinks he's Teddy Rosevelt and they have two nephews, one of which looks like "Boris Karloff". The other one is the only sane person of the bunch.

There is also Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. It's Hamlet told from the perspective of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and it's also rather funny and very Waiting for Godot-esque. Though, you have to finish reading Hamlet first, otherwise this won't make a lot of sense. ;)