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Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet some time in or around the year 1594. The exact date is unknown, though the first performance was recorded around 1594-1595 so it is estimated that he wrote the play a short time before the performance. -
The Cherry Orchard
Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard premiered at Moscow Art Theatre. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on directing the play as a tragedy. Since this initial production, directors have had to contend with the dual nature of this play. -
The Crucible
Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the U.S. government blacklisted accused communists. Miller himself was questioned by the House of Representatives' Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 and convicted of "contempt of Congress" for refusing to identify others present at meetings he had attended. -
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Written by Tennessee Williams, this play premiered at the Morosco Theatre in New York City. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof features several recurring motifs, such as social mores, greed, superficiality, mendacity, decay, sexual desire, repression, and death. Dialogue throughout is often rendered phonetically to represent accents of the Southern United States. The play was adapted as a motion picture of the same name in 1958, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman as Maggie and Brick, respectively. -
Wicked
Wicked opens at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City. Winner of 35 major awards including a Grammy and 3 Tony Awards.
