MUSICALS AND PLAYS
51 Contemporary Plays Written
After 2000
APRIL 12, 2022
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Contemporary Plays Written After 2000
Written by
TL TEAM
Theater has always been a sign of the
times — and we are living through an
unprecedented period of social awakening
and unrest. That’s re<ected in
contemporary plays, which offer
heartbreaking insights and breathtaking
hilarity in equal measure. The landscape of
modern theater is expansive and often
bizarre; you never know what you’re going
to stumble upon.
Whether you’re looking for famous
modern plays or contemporary comedic
plays, we’ve got you covered. Each of our
picks was written after 2000; you’ll Fnd
the date after each title, as well as a link to
the license.
Looking for more play ideas? Check out:
Best Plays for High School
Top image courtesy A.D. Players at the George under CC BY-
ND 2.0
Best Contemporary
Plays
Are you looking for new plays to read or
perform? These are the best contemporary
plays — from the best contemporary
playwrights — of our time.
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1. Anna in the Tropics (2003)
It’s 1929, and you’re a Cuban immigrant in
a Florida cigar factory in Tampa. As you
work long hours at this tedious job, a man
called a lector reads aloud to you from the
front of the room. This remarkable — and
true-to-life — scene is the premise for the
Pulitzer-Prize-winning Anna in the
Tropics. Nilo Cruz shows off his magical,
almost lyrical, grasp of language in this
lovely play. As el lector reads Anna
Karenina, the workers’ boring world is
torn asunder, and their passions and
tribulations come to a head.
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Playwright: Nilo Cruz
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
2. 365 Days/365 Plays (2003)
365 Days/365 Plays isn’t a single modern
play — as you might guess from the name,
it’s a collection of 365 plays. In a truly
remarkable feat, Suzan-Lori Parks wrote
one play every day for a full year. Each
story explores a different topic about what
it means to be an American. Today, you
can produce the full, year-long play cycle
or a selection of performances.
Playwright: Suzan-Lori Parks
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
3. Almost, Maine (2004)
Almost, Maine has one of the most unusual
stories of any contemporary play. The
show was a smash hit when it premiered
in Portland in 2004, but when it
transferred to the off-Broadway Daryl
Roth Theatre in 2006, it lasted just one
month. In the years since, it’s become one
of the most popular plays for high school
and community theater groups. The
reason? Perhaps the good-natured
sweetness and innocent enthusiasm that
radiates from each of the 11 vignette-style
love stories.
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Playwright: John Cariani
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
4. August: Osage County (2007)
The staunchly Midwestern Weston family
seems normal on the surface. When the
patriarch disappears, however, the crew
gathers, and the truth bubbles hilariously
to the surface. Letts infuses the script with
subtle, brilliant insights — a few scenes in,
your laughter will be tinged with
heartbreak. The power of the writing was
clear from the start; August: Osage County
won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for drama and
ran for nearly two years on Broadway. It’s
mounted frequently at theaters around the
country, cementing its place as one of the
most famous modern plays.
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Playwright: Tracy Letts
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
5. A Girl in School Uniform
(Walks Into A Bar) (2018)
A girl is missing in a dystopian city. Danger
is everywhere, and mysterious blackouts
are setting residents on edge. The title
might be pithy, but A Girl in School
Uniform (Walks Into A Bar) is anything but
a comedy. It’s an intense, uncomfortable
look at the way women are treated, both in
this sort-of futuristic place, but also in our
modern world.
Playwright: Lulu Raczka
Publisher: Bloomsbury
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6. Becky Shaw (2008)
If you’re looking for witty contemporary
plays to read, it’s hard to do better than
Becky Shaw. Sharp and more than a little
cynical, this fast-paced contemporary
comedic play stands out in any theatrical
season. The plot centers on a Frst date
and the bizarre relationship that follows.
The characters are <awed and funny…and
you’ll be glad you don’t have to hang out
with them in real life. Push through the
discomfort, and it’s not hard to see why
this play was a runner-up for the Pulitzer
Prize for Drama in 2009.
Playwright: Gina Gionfriddo
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
7. Blackbird (2005)
With a cast of just three, Blackbird is
intimate and intense. This is not a play for
the faint of heart — it follows the meeting
of a predator and his victim, now grown
up. The premise is exactly as devastating
as it sounds; it’s almost unbearable in
parts. After premiering at the Edinburgh
International Festival, this play went on to
win the Olivier award for Best New Play
and the Tony for Best Revival of a Play.
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Playwright: David Harrower
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
8. Bootycandy (2011)
Bootycandy explores what it’s like to grow
up as a Black gay man. Inspired by the real
childhood of playwright Robert O’Hara,
the script is simultaneously funny and
poignant. It takes stereotypical scenes and
tropes and adds an irreverent, ebullient
twist. The result is a curious patchwork of
sketches and scenes — it works best when
you accept the unusual form and enjoy the
ride.
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Playwright: Robert O’Hara
Licensing: Concord Theatricals
9. Clybourne Park (2010)
If you’re in search of comedic
contemporary plays, Clybourne Park Fts
the bill — it racked up Tony, Olivier, and
Pulitzer awards. This play might sound like
a Jane Austen novel, but it’s actually a
sequel to A Raisin in the Sun. 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.
Playwright: Bruce Norris
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
10. Cost of Living (2016)
Cost of Living explores the experiences of
two physically disabled people, but don’t
expect an uplifting story of triumph — the
plot is Frmly grounded in reality, with all
of its uncomfortable and distressing
truths. The script is nuanced and heart-
rending, offering an in-depth look at
privilege of all kinds.
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Playwright: Martyna Majok
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
11. “Daddy”: A Melodrama (2019)
Jeremy O. Harris shot to fame with Slave
Play; with “Daddy”, he seems determined
to shock audiences. You’ll meet Andre, a
wealthy older art collector, and his much
younger lover and protege, Franklin. When
Franklin’s mother arrives, full of
disapproval, con<ict ensues. Despite the
mixed reviews for “Daddy”, it’s an
interesting and decidedly modern look at
race and class con<icts in the world of art.
Playwright: Jeremy O. Harris
Licensing: Not available
12. Doubt: A Parable (2004)
The dark secrets of a Catholic school come
to the surface in this deep, moving
contemporary play from John Patrick
Shanley. Two nuns, a priest, and the
mother of a young student tell the story of
potential abuse — and the doubt that
surrounds the accusation. Shanley’s
nuanced writing is sure to have you
questioning yourself and your assumptions
at every turn. Doubt: A Parable took home
a Pulitzer in 2005; the Broadway
production won a Tony the same year.
Look out for a production at a university
near you — Doubt has become one of the
most popular contemporary plays for
college students.
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Playwright: John Patrick Shanley
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
13. Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue
(2006)
You might recognize Quiara Alegría Hudes’
name — she wrote the book for the
musical In the Heights. In Elliot, a Soldier’s
Fugue, Hudes takes another look at the
tradition of wartime service in different
generations of a Puerto Rican family. 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. The storytelling is abstract, so
it requires some concentration; get a
sense of the vibe here.
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Playwright: Quiara Alegría Hudes
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
14. Enron (2009)
A corporate collapse might not seem like
fertile fodder for a play, but Enron takes it
on with glee. Energetic and fast-paced,
this modern play follows CEO Jeffrey
Skilling through the company’s wild rise
and fall. You might even learn a thing or
two; Prebble manages to make
complicated concepts feel more
accessible. (Or, if Ben Brantley is to be
believed, “lucid to the point of simple-
mindedness”.)
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Playwright: Lucy Prebble
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
15. Fairview (2018)
On the surface, Fairview seems like a
relatively standard family drama. The
Frasiers, a Black family, are getting ready
for a family birthday party, but nothing is
proceeding according to plan. Between
day drinking and teenage drama,
everything is going off the rails. Then
comes Act 2 — the action begins again, this
time observed and commented on by a
group of white characters. (And it doesn’t
stop there.) The curious structure is a
surprisingly effective way to illuminate
issues of racial disparity and prejudice.
Playwright: Jackie Sibblies Drury
Licensing: Dramatists Play Service
