50 of the Greatest Playwrights
Criteria: These Playwrights of western culture were chosen and ranked considering their lasting impact, influence and originality, as well as the initial and lasting popularity of their works.
Plus examples of their greatest plays.
Plus examples of their greatest plays.
Greatest Playwrights
1. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Macbeth
• Hamlet
2. Anton Chekov (1860-1904)
• The Cherry Orchard
• The Seagull
• Uncle Vanya
3. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)
• The School for Scandal
• The Rivals
4. Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
• A Doll's House
• Ghosts
• The Wild Duck
5. Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) (1622-1673)
• Tartuffe
• The Misanthrope
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Macbeth
• Hamlet
2. Anton Chekov (1860-1904)
• The Cherry Orchard
• The Seagull
• Uncle Vanya
3. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)
• The School for Scandal
• The Rivals
4. Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
• A Doll's House
• Ghosts
• The Wild Duck
5. Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin) (1622-1673)
• Tartuffe
• The Misanthrope
6. Sophocles (496-406 BC)
• Oedipius Rex
• Antigone
• Electra
7. Tennessee Williams (1911-1983)
• The Glass Menagerie
• A Streetcar Named Desire
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
8. Aristophanes (427-386 BC)
• Lysistrata
• The Frogs
9. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• A Woman of No Importance
10. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
• Pygmalion
• Man and Superman
11. Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)
• Long Day's Journey Into Night
• The Iceman Cometh
• Mourning Becomes Electra
12. Lorraine Hansbury (1930-1965)
• A Raisin in the Sun
13. Neil Simon (1927-2018)
• The Odd Couple
• Barefoot in the Park
• Plaza Suite
• Biloxi Blues
14. Arthur Miller (1915-2005)
• Death of a Salesman
• The Crucible
• A View from the Bridge
15. Aeschylus (524-456 BC)
• Prometheus Bound
• Agamemnon
• The Persians
16. Noel Coward (1889-1973)
• Private Lives
• Blithe Spirit
17. Thorton Wilder (1897-1975)
• Our Town
• The Matchmaker
• The Skin of our Teeth
18. Lillian Hellman (1905-1984)
• The Children's Hour
• The Little Foxes
19. Tom Stoppard (1937- )
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
• Night and Day
• Arcadia
20. Harold Pinter (1930-2008)
• The Birthday Party
• The Dumbwaiter
21. Aphra Behn (1640-1689)
• The Rover
• The Young King
22. T.S. Eliot (1888-1964)
• Murder in the Cathedral
23. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)
• She Stoops to Conquer
• The Good Natur'd Man
24. David Mamet (1947- )
• Glengarry Glen Ross
25. Alan Bennett (1934- )
• The History Boys
26. Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
• The Three Penny Opera
27. Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931)
• Anatol
28. Moss Hart (1904-1961)
• You Can't Take it With You
• The Man Who Came to Dinner
29. Sophie Treadwell (1885-1970)
• Machinal
30. Sidney Howard (1891-1939)
• They Knew What They Wanted
31. Eugene Ionescu (1909-1994)
• The Bald Soprano
32. August Wilson (1945-2005)
• The Piano Lesson
• Fences
33. Eric Bogosian (1953- )
• Talk Radio
• subUrbia
34. Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987)
• The Women
• Kiss the Boys Goodbye
35. Clifford Odets (1906-1963)
• Awake and Sing
36. Howard Lindsey / Russel Crouse (1889-1968/1893-1966)
• Life with Father
37. August Strindberg (1849-1912)
• Miss Julie
• The Father
38. Tony Kushner (1956- )
• Angels in America
39. Ben Johnson (1572-1637)
• Volpone
• Every Man in His Humour
40. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
• Tamburlaine
• Doctor Faustus
41. Wendy Wasserstein (1950-2006)
• The Heidi Chronicles
42. Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986)
• The Ascent of F6
43. Karel Capek (1890-1938)
• Rossum's Universal Robots
44. Sam Shepard (1943-2017)
• True West
45. John Millington Synge (1871-1909)
• The Playboy of the Western World
46. John Cocteau (1889-1963)
• The Infernal Machine
47. Euripedes (480-406 BC)
• Medea
• Electra
• The Trojan Women
48. Edward Albee (1928-2016)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf
• The Zoo Story
49. Katori Hall (1981- )
• The Mountaintop
50. David Hare (1947- )
• Plenty
• Stuff Happens
• Oedipius Rex
• Antigone
• Electra
7. Tennessee Williams (1911-1983)
• The Glass Menagerie
• A Streetcar Named Desire
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
8. Aristophanes (427-386 BC)
• Lysistrata
• The Frogs
9. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• A Woman of No Importance
10. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
• Pygmalion
• Man and Superman
11. Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)
• Long Day's Journey Into Night
• The Iceman Cometh
• Mourning Becomes Electra
12. Lorraine Hansbury (1930-1965)
• A Raisin in the Sun
13. Neil Simon (1927-2018)
• The Odd Couple
• Barefoot in the Park
• Plaza Suite
• Biloxi Blues
14. Arthur Miller (1915-2005)
• Death of a Salesman
• The Crucible
• A View from the Bridge
15. Aeschylus (524-456 BC)
• Prometheus Bound
• Agamemnon
• The Persians
16. Noel Coward (1889-1973)
• Private Lives
• Blithe Spirit
17. Thorton Wilder (1897-1975)
• Our Town
• The Matchmaker
• The Skin of our Teeth
18. Lillian Hellman (1905-1984)
• The Children's Hour
• The Little Foxes
19. Tom Stoppard (1937- )
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
• Night and Day
• Arcadia
20. Harold Pinter (1930-2008)
• The Birthday Party
• The Dumbwaiter
21. Aphra Behn (1640-1689)
• The Rover
• The Young King
22. T.S. Eliot (1888-1964)
• Murder in the Cathedral
23. Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774)
• She Stoops to Conquer
• The Good Natur'd Man
24. David Mamet (1947- )
• Glengarry Glen Ross
25. Alan Bennett (1934- )
• The History Boys
26. Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
• The Three Penny Opera
27. Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931)
• Anatol
28. Moss Hart (1904-1961)
• You Can't Take it With You
• The Man Who Came to Dinner
29. Sophie Treadwell (1885-1970)
• Machinal
30. Sidney Howard (1891-1939)
• They Knew What They Wanted
31. Eugene Ionescu (1909-1994)
• The Bald Soprano
32. August Wilson (1945-2005)
• The Piano Lesson
• Fences
33. Eric Bogosian (1953- )
• Talk Radio
• subUrbia
34. Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987)
• The Women
• Kiss the Boys Goodbye
35. Clifford Odets (1906-1963)
• Awake and Sing
36. Howard Lindsey / Russel Crouse (1889-1968/1893-1966)
• Life with Father
37. August Strindberg (1849-1912)
• Miss Julie
• The Father
38. Tony Kushner (1956- )
• Angels in America
39. Ben Johnson (1572-1637)
• Volpone
• Every Man in His Humour
40. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)
• Tamburlaine
• Doctor Faustus
41. Wendy Wasserstein (1950-2006)
• The Heidi Chronicles
42. Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986)
• The Ascent of F6
43. Karel Capek (1890-1938)
• Rossum's Universal Robots
44. Sam Shepard (1943-2017)
• True West
45. John Millington Synge (1871-1909)
• The Playboy of the Western World
46. John Cocteau (1889-1963)
• The Infernal Machine
47. Euripedes (480-406 BC)
• Medea
• Electra
• The Trojan Women
48. Edward Albee (1928-2016)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf
• The Zoo Story
49. Katori Hall (1981- )
• The Mountaintop
50. David Hare (1947- )
• Plenty
• Stuff Happens
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List Compiled and Edited By Jacqueline W.
List Begun: 2023-01-17