I keep getting google searches looking for "most influential play of the last century". The latest one of these was looking for the "9 most influential plays of this century". But I'm pretty sure they meant the 20th, not the 21st.
And because 9 is such a random number, let's help our poor googling friend.
What are the 9 most influential plays of the 20th Century?
I'm going to start us off, Wheel of Fortune style and say the obvious ones (I'm not saying these have to go on the list, I'm just saying their the semi-obvious choices):
The Cherry Orchard
Waiting for Godot
Angels in America
Glenngarry Glen Ross
What say you?
UPDATE: BTW in case it wasn't clear, the plays listed above aren't like my favorite plays or the ones that I want to be the most influential or anything, just four plays whose influence I see all over the play (99 for example, mentions "Fifth of July" in the comments, which stylistically is so heavily influenced by "The Cherry Orchard" as to be its like child or something; and much as I wish it weren't the case, I see a lot of plays/hear a lot of readings/ talk to lit managers who bitch about the influence of Mamet on everything).
The major arcana:
The Iceman Cometh
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
A Streetcar Named Desire
Waiting for Lefty
Fences
for colored girls...
Oklahoma!
Hair
True West
On the bubble
Moonchildren
Tales of the Lost Formicans
Fefu and her Friends
Fifth of July
Company
Posted by: 99 | February 26, 2009 at 08:39 PM
I'd say Tennessee Williams (Glass Menagerie or Streetcar) or Shepard (BURIED CHILD) was more influential than Mamet, much as I admire Glengarry ..
Posted by: Joshua James | February 26, 2009 at 08:49 PM
Mother Courage
The Dream Play
Ubu Roi
Posted by: John C | February 26, 2009 at 08:55 PM
The Homecoming?
Posted by: Monica | February 26, 2009 at 10:05 PM
THREEPENNY!
Posted by: Alec D. | February 26, 2009 at 10:52 PM
Some good ones have already been mentioned.
O'Neill's LONG DAYS JOURNEY shouldn't be left out.
Posted by: Malachy Walsh | February 26, 2009 at 11:26 PM
The Zoo Story
Death of a Salesman
A Long Day's Journey into Night
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Bald Soprano
A Raisin in the Sun
The Homecoming
Endgame
What about a little Noel Coward? Like Private Lives?
Or Neil Simon? He was influential, even if television sitcoms made some of his work dated.
Posted by: freeman | February 26, 2009 at 11:27 PM
Here's my nine:
A Dream Play
Cherry Orchard
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Threepenny Opera
Long Day's Journey Into Night
The Good Person of Sezchuan
A Streetcar Named Desire
Endgame
Arcadia
Posted by: Aaron Leichter | February 27, 2009 at 12:07 AM
Our Town
Posted by: Brant | February 27, 2009 at 09:41 AM
Lestat.
Posted by: Tarhearted | February 27, 2009 at 10:02 AM
also
Our Town
Blood Wedding
Marat/Sade
Posted by: Tony | February 27, 2009 at 10:09 AM
No fun. Nine most influential plays of THIS century. And... go!
Posted by: Paul Rekk | February 27, 2009 at 11:36 AM
I'd do--
Cherry Orchard
Waiting for Godot
Look Back in Anger
Streetcar Named Desire
Saved
The Homecoming
Long Day's Journey into Night
Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?
Death of a Salesman
Not necessarily my favorite plays (although some of them are in there), but I think they're influential. I'd love to make room for a Tony Kushner, a Caryl Churchill, a Sarah Kane, an August Wilson, an Adrienne Kennedy and more, but (for a variety of reasons) I think that their influence is more keenly felt *now*, not so much in the last century, mostly because of their influence on the writers who grew up in and since the 80's. But I could just be reading too much into the question. Or too little. Or answering a different question entirely. Which is very very very possible.
-M
Posted by: Mark Schultz | February 27, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Our Town
Cherry Orchard
Streetcar Named Desire
Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?
Death of a Salesman
Laramie Project
A Raisin in the Sun
Carousel
The Crucible
Posted by: Tommer | February 27, 2009 at 02:21 PM
Glad someone mentioned SAVED.
Sarah Kane was born in that play.
Posted by: Malachy Walsh | February 28, 2009 at 02:12 AM
THIS century (American):
Doubt
Topdog/Underdog
Dead City
1001
Thom Pain
I am my own wife
August: Osage County
365 Plays - Suzan-Lori Parks
The Internationalist
Posted by: Alec D. | February 28, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Alec...
Have you only been seeing plays for the last 5 years?
Posted by: Peter | February 28, 2009 at 04:16 PM
No, his response was for 21st century plays, which paul rekk had challenged commenters to do (that's why it says THIS century all in caps)
Posted by: isaac | February 28, 2009 at 04:36 PM
The Nine:
Waiting for Godot
The Homecoming
Death of a Salesman
Streetcar Named Desire
The Cherry Orchard
Angels in America
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Look Back in Anger
The just-missed:
Bald Soprano
Six Characters in Search of An Author
Blood Knot
Raisin in the Sun
Mother Courage and Her Children
Posted by: Ken | February 28, 2009 at 06:47 PM
ah, well, then... it's still early.
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Urinetown, the Musical
The Producers
sic
August: Osage County
Elliott: A Soldier's Story
Doubt
I Am My Own Wife
Take Me Out
Posted by: Peter | February 28, 2009 at 10:21 PM
How I Learned To Drive
The Seagull
Calm Down Mother
Night Mother
American Buffalo
The Dutchman
Master Harold and The boys
(of course Brecht, Mamet, Shepard, Albee, O'Neill, Williams,Miller)
Hurly Burly
(the plays produced by The Wooster Group with Spalding Gray, Ron Vawter, Joan MacIntosh, and Richard Scheckner_
Posted by: dani n. | March 02, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Just want to clarify. The Wooster group was The Performance Group and Elizabeth LeCompte was part of that work (and of course still is) She was major to Spalding Gray's development of many his monologue's and solo work. Let us not forget the heavy influence too of The Open Theater, The Living Theater,and Jerzy Growtowski.
Posted by: dani n. | March 02, 2009 at 12:39 AM