Originating in ancient Greece, the dramatic play is an enduring form of literature intended to be performed in front of an audience. Our Dramatic Plays Collection features a selection of works that exemplify the genre and its wide-ranging interpretations from ancient times to the present, including the dramatic monologue and choreopoem.
Publication year 1935
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Society: Class
Tags Play: Drama, Class, Social Justice, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Waiting for Lefty is a one-act play by Clifford Odets. It initially premiered in January 1935, performed by the Group Theatre, a company started in 1931 by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, and Lee Strasburg with the goal of revolutionizing American theater as a means for social change. Lefty was Odets’s first produced play, written in response to a call by the New Theatre League for a piece to perform in union halls or meeting spaces... Read Waiting For Lefty Summary
Publication year 1961
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Nation, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Race / Racism, Love / Sexuality, Play: Drama
When West Side Story opened on Broadway in 1957, it was a new kind of musical. At the time, the phrase “Broadway musical” was synonymous with “musical comedy.” Musical theatre typically took a lighthearted approach, even when broaching serious issues. But West Side Story, perhaps one of the most famous adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, exposed audiences to gang violence on the streets of New York. If Shakespeare’s lovers are star-crossed and ill-fated... Read West Side Story Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1962
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2007
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Immigration
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Education, Education, Asian Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Humor