Laus went to ask aid of the oracle of Delphi, but was slain mysteriously on the road. In addition, he learns much about love, trust, and relationships in this coming-of-age novel. The hero-narrator of The Catcher in the Rye is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Iago for being one of the most villainous characters ever to grace the stage. Its 1981, and the Carney family is celebrating the harvest at their farm in Northern Ireland. The premise is exactly as devastating as it sounds; its almost unbearable in parts. Anderson, Maxwell. He writes about the atrocities humans commit upon each other, and he also mixes in a number of other concerns, some heavy, some light, such as death, aliens, and the ability to see other points in time, past or future. Though her father approves of the match, Othellos confident, Iago, becomes jealous of Othellos promotion and conspires against Othello with Rodrigo, a man who lusts after Desdemona. Unfortunately, because of copyright restrictions, we cannot sell to persons in your country. 1. The three witches (who can be played by a variety of different actors in different ways). He disregards this warning. Its Christmas, and four you guessed it straight white men have gathered in their middle-class Midwestern home to celebrate. Summary: While Thebes was under the rule of King Laus and Queen Jocasta, a strange and monstrous Sphinx appeared. The characters are flawed and funnyand youll be glad you dont have to hang out with them in real life. Asner attended Wyandotte The 30 Best Plays for High School The Ultimate List 1. A summer tea party on the brink of doom is how one production of Escaped Alone described the play. In fact, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002. Blues for Mister Charlie. M 5-6/ F 2-3/Max 9/Min 7. When done correctly, audiences have been known to laugh until tears well in their eyes. The play takes place in four acts over the course of one day, and its a beautiful doozy of a play. Are you both a reader and interested in becoming a doctor? The book focuses on four mother and four daughters across four sections of the novel for a total of sixteen stories that come together to complete this total work. Best Character: Lysistrata for gumption, sense of humor, and intelligence. A Snow White Christmas. Top image courtesy A.D. Players at the George under CC BY-ND 2.0. 21 Lesser-Known Musicals: How Many Do You Know? Play #1: Rice secures block n oop vs. Essex. An award-winning romantic comedy that imagines Tom and Huck as gay sixteen-year-olds, trapped in the 1850s in St. Petersburg, Missouri. Almost, Maine has one of the most unusual stories of any contemporary play. Best Character: Beneatha for bravery, intelligence, and outspokenness. It can be interpreted religiously, politically, psychoanalytically, or any number of other ways, but the basic premise is that a group of schoolboys stranded on an island descend into grotesque savagery. Look out for a production at a university near you Doubt has become one of the most popular contemporary plays for college students. Today, the book is available with all material included. ter (btr), best (bst) 1. WebThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Brutus sides with Cassius and the other betrayers. Thats exactly what happens in HIR Isaac returns home to discover that his abusive father, after having a stroke, is under the control of his now-liberated mother. Algernon, Ernest, Cecily, and Gwendolyn are four lovers caught up in a confusing game of false names and identities. Siblings (and roommates) Vanya and Sonias dull Chekhovian life is tossed upside down when their famous sister Masha comes to visit with her much younger (and much dumber) boyfriend Spike. He feels obligated to his family but also burdened by their existence. The Odyssey is an epic poem nearly three thousand years old thats attributed to the blind poet Homer. The play is a captivating meditation on modern politics, art, and religion. The Love Suicides at Amijima by Chikamatsu Monzaemon This play is considered one of the most famous works of Japanese literature. Playwright: Jeremy O. HarrisLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Lincoln wants to make an honest living, but Booth cant help but bring him down. 3.74 avg rating 2,424,993 ratings. In other words, Orgasms. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" "Peter and the Starcatcher" "Alice in Wonderland" "Our Town" In the musical category, "Beauty and the Beast" climbed to the top, edging out last Graduating obviously! Or is it really about the Red Scare of the 1950s? Thank you! 3 Adna and No. You might start with those that simply sound the most interesting to you, or you could look for themes in the books that relate to what you're learning in school. This classic drama by Arthur Miller tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s. Playwright: Bruce NorrisLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. Its a fascinating reimagining of the Oedipus Rex story. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? moral, virtuous adj. The trials and tribulations she undergoes with all three make for an interesting examination of what it takes for Janie to free the strong, confident woman within. The body of Quinns brother, who disappeared after Quinn left the group, has turned up, and the IRA wants to avoid any accusations. Troy Maxson, a former star of the Negro baseball leagues who now works as a garbage man in 1957 Pittsburgh. Best Character:Puck for pure knavery. Jeremy O. Harris shot to fame with Slave Play; with Daddy, he seems determined to shock audiences. The daughter of the lawyer defending the accused is the main protagonist, and another aspect of the story is her journey from bemused mockery to gentle understanding with regard to an eccentric man in the town. It was until you realized nothing Play #1: Rice secures block n oop vs. Essex. Playwright: Will ArberyLicensing: Concord Theatricals. Best Character: The middle sister, Masha, for wit, intelligence, and a biting sense of humor. When Juliet wakes up, she finds Romeo dead and kills herself from grief. A blood feud prevents them from publicly announcing their relationship, so they get married in secret. Blink is an intimate, quirky little romantic comedy dont worry, its not too sweet. Two figures appear in their lives. It tells the story of a war heros ten-year quest to return to his home, wife, and son. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lieand it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. Playwright: John Patrick ShanleyLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. The true magic of this play happens in the staging, which utilizes puppets with cage-style construction. Playwright: Martyna MajokLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. Summary: Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are in love, but their parents hate each other. But another great thing about being on the cusp of your transition from high school to college (or the professional acting world) is that youll now get the chance to audition for some of the greatest plays ever written. In a Chicago junk shop three small time crooks plot to rob a man of his coin collection, the showpiece of which is a valuable Buffalo nickel. Its dark subject matter, and nothing good comes of it, as you may well suspect. The decadence of the Jazz Age was, as is revealed in the novel, both enticing for many and revolting for some. WebEverything You Always Wanted to Know about Middle School (but were too busy being stuffed in a locker to ask)Werner Trieschmann. When youre in the right headspace, its a rich and rewarding journey. (Isnt theater grand?) Instead, the students at the public arts high school would perform Anton Chekovs play The Seagull, which principal Tina Wilson wrote in an email to families was more Was this read? Your registration has been updated. Troy for conflict between his son and his unrealized dream of pro ball. He disregards this warning. When her deceased husbands insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Below is Performer Stuffs top 25 list of plays every high school senior should read before graduating. The novel tells the story of a man considered mentally retarded who is selected for an intelligence-enhancing surgery. Tom Wingfield for one of the most interesting sets of monologues ever delivered in modern theatre. Mary Warren and Abigail Williams for fatal shenanigans. Its funny, heartbreaking, and more than a little unusual; playwright Phil Porter invented a unique structure that reflects the simplicity and naivete of the characters. Set in the summer home of the Tyrone family during 1912. In 2015 and in 2014, Romeo and Juliet was the top seller, followed by Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Othello, and Julius Caesar. The racist, xenophobic, and misogynist dialogue is uncomfortably familiar. Its also hilarious, if absolutely weird. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. If you have the mental space however, this insightful play is well worth a read. It tells the story of everyday life and death in the small town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, during the early part of the last century. Over the course of the play, Everyman encounters different characters who tempt, insult, and shun him all except Good Deeds. Webgood adjective (HIGH QUALITY) A1 of a high quality or level: She speaks very good French. The result is one of the most inventive and insightful contemporary plays out there. You don't have to pay for the rights, and you can cut and rearrange the script at will, without getting a cease-and-desist letter from Shakespeare's attorney. Summary: Young Desdemona is in love with a black soldier named Othello in her fathers army. Noises Off follows the backstage drama of a theater troupe as they try to put on a production of Nothing On. This play is perfect for high school students because its full of comedy and chaos. The set design for this play should be fairly simple, as most of the action takes place backstage. 8. Romeo and Juliet An eclectic blend of comedy and drama, these shows offer plenty of opportunity for young performers to really show off their acting chops. While there is nothing wrong with ANY OF THESE CHOICES, here are three plays that we dont teach as often but make fantastic selections for high school students. This isnt a play for the TikTok generation; it forces you to stretch out your attention span for the occasional low-key but insightful payoff. As the title character returns from a second tour in Iraq at age 19, he discovers how his trauma parallels that of his father and grandfather. In the years since, its become one of the most popular plays for high school and community theater groups. 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. There are insiders of and outsiders to this world, and each character views and interacts with the society in a different light. Caesar responds, E tu, Brute? and dies. Without being heavy handed or boring, Schreck tackles everything from abuse to the people who are ignored by the Constitution (hint: its most of us). Playwright: Tim J. LordLicensing: Not available (read an excerpt). The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. Playwright: Paula VogelLicensing: Dramatists Play Service. is an unexpected offering from Edward Albee. CINCINNATI . Dont let this list scare you! Brutus for experiencing one of the most difficult decisions ever faced in theatre. Oberon and his faithful servant, Puck, cause trouble when Puck accidentally makes Lysander andDemetrius fall in love withHelenaand Titania fall in love with a boastful actor named Bottom who Puck turns into a donkey. Mary tells her grandmother the lie, swearing it to be true, and when her grandmother calls the other girls parents, the lie spins so out of control that it destroys the lives of the two women forever. Peter and the Starcatcher. 25 Plays all High School Seniors Should Read (Before They Graduate) Part 1 : PerformerStuff More Good Stuff It appears that you are outside of North America. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier All you need to know is that nothing exciting ever happened in this novel. If you love sports and controversy doesnt hurt to love British football, too Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads is an interesting contemporary read. William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is familiar to most people on some level: two teenagers from feuding families fall in love and ultimately sacrifice their lives to their passion. The curious structure is a surprisingly effective way to illuminate issues of racial disparity and prejudice. Plus, you'll understand more of the references that crop up all the time in pop culture. 25 - 30 minutes. Its one of those modern plays thats so easy to watch that the raw moments hit you that much harder. 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. Brutus experiences a moral dilemma, torn between killing his friend and allowing Caesar to take the throne and possibly harm the people of Rome. When Juliet finds out she has to marry a guy she doesnt really know, she takes a sleeping potion, making her family think shes dead. To have a better chance at being cast in any of those amazing plays, you should read them first. Below is Performer Stuffs top 25 list of plays every high school senior should read before graduating. Weve also included a summary and our favorite character(s) from each. This autobiographical novel by poet Sylvia Plath explores the deep, dark reality of mental illness. 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