contemporary plays with strong female characters
Happy Birthday, Jackie Gleason! 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. is an unexpected offering from Edward Albee. Hes too staid, too boring, and she just wants him to be a little more spontaneous. It seems her sweet grandma is running an illegal boutique from her apartment, selling handmade naughty knickers to every senior citizen in the five-borough area! I particularly like. ), Playwright: Lucy PrebbleLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. Themes include contemporary politics, slavery, historical marriages, senior comedy, surreal time-shifts, Shakespeare comedy, campers, birdwatchers, newlyweds, coming of age, participatory plays. The title might be pithy, but A Girl in School Uniform (Walks Into A Bar) is anything but a comedy. He was known as a modern playwright because he wrote with realism, and had a doubtful way of portraying the gods in his plays. When the parents meet, purportedly to resolve the issue, the discussion devolves into madness. These plays serve as the very best examples of what drama should be. 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. and other women are. In the UK/Europe, click here. Whether youre looking for famous modern plays or contemporary comedic plays, weve got you covered. 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 . Playwright: David HarrowerLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. For even more plays that go beyond the ingenue visit our website. 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. Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl (US/UK)(Comedy / 3f, 4m)Art imitates Life. Its a clever conceit, though some pairings are more fun than others. In the US/North America, click here. Its 1981, and the Carney family is celebrating the harvest at their farm in Northern Ireland. 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. 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. Dolly subsequently becomes involved with two of Vandergelder's clerks, several lovely ladies, and the headwaiter at an expensive restaurant where this swift farce runs headlong into hilarious complications. This debut play from playwright-of-the-minute Jez Butterworth (Jerusalem, The Ferryman) is a dream for a university aged actors. Playwright: David Henry HwangLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. This contemporary play is equal parts funny and tragic, revealing the wild passions and anger that flow beneath a seemingly civilized middle-class life. Playwright: Yasmina Reza (translator: Christopher Hampton) Licensing: Dramatists Play Service 17. Hall, who also wrote the book for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, was inspired by her brother a Black, gay man living life in the south. Often when we talk about strong female characters we're referring to emotional strength, but in this case, Nemesis is literally stronger than anyone else. 21 Lesser-Known Musicals: How Many Do You Know? Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon (US)(Comedy / 2f, 4m)Paul and Corie Bratter are newlyweds in every sense of the word. She's been reading a lot of Sam Shepard, Michael Weller (her favorite), and an assortment of titles offered up by her professors ("My Night With Reg" has been humorously-NSFW-cover down on the coffee table for a week or so). 4000 MILES looks at how two outsiders find their way in today's world. The play runs for less than an hour, which is just the right length; it provides enough time to absorb the jarring content, but not enough for viewers and readers to tire of the conceit. Mulan was one of my personal heroes as a child she's a fearless warrior and genuine delight. Now Walsh must go away forever, but not before securing Rose's financial future with an extraordinary proposal that promises to change everything. God Gave Us Aunts 7. Wrights Pulitzer-winning play celebrates von Mahlsdorfs remarkable life she dressed in drag and collaborated with the Stasi to survive in a sensitive and ultimately affectionate manner. As the play opens, ne'er-do-well son Eddie deposits his two young sons on the old lady's doorstep. What were women doing, feeling, thinking while the men were gathered with Jesus in the Upper Room? After he casually comes out as gay at a press conference, Lemming believes everything will be fine. A hilarious, touching play. But when a beloved computer science professor suddenly disappears, can Doreen trust her friends with her inner squirrel so she can save the day? The main character, Major Kusanagi, is a cyborg woman who uses her post-human body to confront a terrorist threat. Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) During the opening night performance, the murders continue. The failed marriages, the suicide attempts, and the addictions are all behind her. Related: A Young Woman Endures the Civil War in This Historical Fiction Novel Amazon Apple Books Barnes & Noble After reviewing their escapades in past relationships and confessing their own mounting anxieties about commitment and the possibility of motherhood, the pair realize their best chance at love may be found closer than they ever imagined. Chicha, The Emperor's New Groove Walt Disney Animation Chicha has a "no nonsense" attitude and. This unusual and witty play jumps around in time, showcasing four different Watsons (both real and fictional, human and computer) and their Holmes-inspired counterparts. If Liz can keep this talented yet volatile young star in line, she just might end up making not only his career, but her own as well. More goes down in the session than music in this riveting portrayal of rage, racism, the self-hate, and exploitation. August Osage County, by Tracy Letts. Nilo Cruz shows off his magical, almost lyrical, grasp of language in this lovely play. for kids, celebrity aura and morality plays. The premise is exactly as devastating as it sounds; its almost unbearable in parts. Most have a compelling present-tense action for actors to perform. (Or awarded a Tony, for that matter) Thats up to you to decide. But how can this be? (Titles 59 and 60 are set for publication in 2019). The Roommate by Jen Silverman (US/UK)(Dark Comedy / 2f)Sharon, in her mid-fifties, is recently divorced and needs a roommate to share her Iowa home. Its 1929, and youre a Cuban immigrant in a Florida cigar factory in Tampa. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin? After everyone gets straightened out romantically, Vandergelder finds himself affianced to the astute Dolly Levi herself. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Home Theater Musicals and Plays 51 Contemporary Plays Written After 2000. Recommended for ages 8+ This Pulitzer and Tony finalist isnt shocking; rather, its funny and surprisingly sensitive. The Lower Room by Pat Wooley (US)(Drama / 9f, 2m)Pat Wooley's fascinating play retells the story of Jesus' passion through the eyes of those who were the last of the followers at the cross, and the first at the tomb: women. Check out these 30 titles featuring strong women ranging in age, temperament and position. She finds unexpected answers and larger questions among the glittering legacies of India's past. But when her beloved son suddenly turns up with an ambitious Reaganite girlfriend and a shocking new conservative world view, Hester must choose between preserving her family and defending the causes she's spent her whole life fighting for. Join 8,027 readers in helping fund MetaFilter. Baby Taj by Tanya Shaffer (US)(Comedy/ 6f, 5m)The legendary Taj Mahal is the next assignment for Rachel, an American travel writer whose failed romances have led her to ask: Why not have the baby she craves on her own? And for the sexism of these chauvinist drivers? Hes a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer and shes a free spirit always looking for the latest kick. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (US/UK)(Drama / 3f, 7m, 1 boy)Set on Chicagos South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. She certainly exercises power over her husband, Macbeth, in the first half of the play, as she encourages him to murder Duncan. According to legend, it was no less a personage than the legendary Orson Welles who nicknamed the man born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr. in New York City on this date in 1916 "The Great One.". Playwright: Nick Stafford, Michael MorpurgoLicensing: Oxford Playscripts. 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. Its Christmas, and four you guessed it straight white men have gathered in their middle-class Midwestern home to celebrate. Push through the discomfort, and its not hard to see why this play was a runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2009. Though the script dives into racial issues and prejudice, it does so with a deft hand; Norris manages to create a riotously funny, deliciously witty story. Blithe Spirit by Nol Coward (US/UK)(Comedy / 5f, 2m)Fussy, cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine is re-married but haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, the clever and insistent Elvira who is called up by a visiting happy medium, one Madame Arcati. Playwright: Christopher DurangLicensing: Dramatists Play Service, Madeleine George explores the Watsons of the world as in Sherlock Holmes trusty assistant and the roles they play in the most important developments in human history. Shes worked twice as hard to get where she is and wants to take over the agency that she's helped build. Header image: Broadway production of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson (Julieta Cervantes). Silent Sky- Lauren Gunderson (4w,1m) --Could double cast if you have more students. The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which is based on the Mark Haddon novel of the same name, gives readers a peek into Christophers ultra-logical view of the world. This is not a play for the faint of heart it follows the meeting of a predator and his victim, now grown up. Orgasms. Its not at all preachy; after speaking out publicly, DHH himself ends up making a poor casting choice and finding a creative way to deal with the consequences. The TV industry seems obsessed with the silent-but-deadly female archetype. If part of a series, please only include the first novel unless subsequent novels have different leading characters. Take the Netflix series Unbelievable, which is based on a distressing true story. Jess soon realizes that things at home have changed even more than she has. 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. Dialogue and diction. Playwright: Rolin JonesLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. Five different women named Betty collide at the intersection of anger, sex, and the Thea-Tah.. by Crystal Skillman (US/UK)(Comedy / 4f, 2m)With pissed-off Pikachus, steam punk armies, stood-up Sailor Moons and roller-blading monsters on the prowl, it's easy to get lost in the Inferno-esque anime convention where the fans, the otakus, and the geeks prowl. But the hilarity remains the same. She is a hardworking tech genius who works terrifically for her nation and the benefits of the citizens. The economic collapse has affected Hannah and David's relationship, and Moore's comedy subversively captures the truth buried beneath the laughs. The women were mainly strong and are . A remarkably independent woman, Janie Crawford's strength is in her ability to keep on going, no matter what her life throws at her, and to uphold her dignity throughout. Not Dick Morris's type. Samuel Becketts classic absurdism comes to life in this drama about happy days.. Each of our picks was written after 2000; youll find the date after each title, as well as a link to the license. When a racist and bigoted pitcher joins the team, everything descends into chaos. While embodying a variety of characters, the girlfriends discuss the absurdities of interracial dating, the lure of recreational shopping, and the merits of college reunions for bolstering ones self-esteem. But as Sharon begins to uncover Robyns secrets, they encourage her own deep-seated desire to transform her life completely. Strong Female Characters: Juliet Capulet. That is, until he finds his muse Viola. Consequently, they are able to play a more active role in the play's narrative. If you have the mental space however, this insightful play is well worth a read. In the other is her equally stubborn cousin Liam, a secular and entitled young man, who has his shiska girlfriend, Melody, in tow. Pia, from the New Zealand movie Whale Rider. On the surface, Fairview seems like a relatively standard family drama. Despite its epic title, God of Carnage revolves around a schoolyard conflict between two boys. Though it was written in 2013, an all-too-familiar sense of isolation permeates the play. Its a big, lively masterpiece of storytelling thats just as enjoyable on the page as it is on stage. Painting Churches 4. Ask MetaFilter is where thousands of life's little questions are answered. 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. Written by multiple award-winning playwright Jane Shepard. Against a bustling background of mistaken identity, ruthless scheming and backstage theatrics, Wills love for Viola quickly blossoms and inspires him to write his greatest masterpiece. After an unthinkable tragedy, the Corbetts struggle to survive, each on their own way. Playwright: Jeremy O. HarrisLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Eleven ( Millie Bobby Brown) in Stranger Things . 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