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'A Streetcar Named Desire' by Tennessee Williams -

Debuting in 1947, this powerful drama explores the clash between Blanche DuBois, a fading Southern belle, and her brutal brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski, while critiquing beauty, mental health, and survival.

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'Death of a Salesman' by Arthur Miller -

First performed in 1949, 'Death of a Salesman' follows Willy Loman, a struggling salesman whose obsession with success unravels his life. It became a defining work in American theater.

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'The Importance of Being Earnest' by Oscar Wilde -

Wilde's 1895 satire 'The Importance of Being Earnest' mocks Victorian society's obsession with manners and marriage, using mistaken identities and witty dialogue to humorously critique class and romance.

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'The Misanthrope' by Molière -

Premiering in 1666, 'The Misanthrope' satirizes French aristocracy through Alceste, a man who despises society's hypocrisy, yet finds himself torn by his love for Célimène, who embodies these vices.

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'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare -

Premiering around 1600, 'Hamlet' follows Prince Hamlet's quest for vengeance against his uncle Claudius, who murdered his father, exploring themes of madness, morality, and mortality that still influence literature and theater today.

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'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare -

Written around 1606, 'Macbeth' explores the dangers of unchecked ambition as Macbeth's bloody rise to power leads to his downfall, driven by guilt and paranoia.

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'Waiting for Godot' by Samuel Beckett -

Premiering in 1953, this play is a hallmark of absurdist theater, using a minimalistic setting and purposeless narrative to explore existential themes of life, waiting, and the search for meaning.

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'The Glass Menagerie' by Tennessee Williams -

First staged in 1944, 'The Glass Menagerie' is a semi-autobiographical play exploring a family's fragile hopes, focusing on Laura, a young woman with physical and emotional challenges.

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'King Lear' by William Shakespeare -

Written in 1605, 'King Lear' is one of Shakespeare's most poignant tragedies, where the aging king's decision to divide his kingdom leads to betrayal, madness, and a devastating fall.

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'A Raisin in the Sun' by Lorraine Hansberry -

This groundbreaking 1959 play was the first by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. It explores the struggles of a Black family in the 1950s, navigating dreams, racial discrimination, and generational conflict.

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'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles -

Premiering in 429 BCE, 'Oedipus Rex' is a pivotal Greek tragedy that follows King Oedipus as he unknowingly fulfills a prophecy, leading to his downfall and highlighting the themes of fate and hubris.

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'The Cherry Orchard' by Anton Chekhov -

Premiering in 1904, Chekhov's final play depicts a family selling their estate to pay off debts, symbolizing the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of a new middle class amid Russian social change.

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'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller -

In 1953, Miller's 'The Crucible' opened as an allegory for the McCarthy hearings. Set during the Salem witch trials, it critiques mass hysteria and the dangers of authoritarianism.

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'Antigone' by Sophocles -

Written in 441 BCE, the Greek tragedy 'Antigone' explores the clash between state and family loyalty as Antigone defies the king's edict to bury her brother, leading to tragic consequences.

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'Angels in America' by Tony Kushner -

Premiering in 1991, this play explores the AIDS epidemic in 1980s America, addressing love, illness, politics, and social change.

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'No Exit' by Jean-Paul Sartre -

Premiering in 1944, Sartre's 'No Exit' is an existentialist masterpiece where three characters trapped in hell realize that "hell is other people," exploring freedom, responsibility, and self-perception.

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'The Seagull' by Anton Chekhov -

First performed in 1896, 'The Seagull' focuses on the lives of struggling artists, unrequited love, and the burdens of artistic ambition.

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'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' by Christopher Hampton -

Premiering in 1985, 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' adapts Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 18th-century novel, exposing manipulation and seduction in the French aristocracy with a sharp critique that ensures its lasting success.

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'Long Day's Journey into Night' by Eugene O'Neill -

Premiering in 1956, Eugene O'Neill's play is a deeply personal tragedy that explores addiction, mental illness, and the painful truths holding a family together.

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'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare -

Written in the 1590s, 'Romeo and Juliet' is a timeless tragedy of young love, fate, and the destructive power of familial hatred.

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'The Wild Duck' by Henrik Ibsen -

Premiering in 1884, the play explores the complexities of truth and illusion. The drama centers on a family whose secrets slowly unravel, revealing painful realities that disrupt their relationships and lives.

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'Our Town' by Thornton Wilder -

A poignant depiction of life, love, and death in a small New England town, 'Our Town' became a beloved American classic after its 1938 debut.

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'The Piano Lesson' by August Wilson -

Premiering in 1987, August Wilson's play explores African American heritage through a sibling conflict over a family piano, symbolizing the struggle between honoring the past and embracing the future.

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'The Homecoming' by Harold Pinter -

First staged in 1965, 'The Homecoming' explores the unsettling dynamics of family relationships. The return of a prodigal son and his wife uncovers deep tensions and power struggles within the family.

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'The Merchant of Venice' by William Shakespeare -

Written around 1596, this play explores mercy, justice, and revenge. Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, demands a pound of flesh from merchant Antonio, making him one of Shakespeare's most complex characters.

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'The Birthday Party' by Harold Pinter -

'The Birthday Party,' first staged in 1958, is a surreal play about an ordinary man whose life is disrupted by mysterious strangers, exploring themes of isolation and existential dread.

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'Othello' by William Shakespeare -

Premiering in 1604, 'Othello' explores jealousy, manipulation, and racism as Othello, a Moorish general, is deceived by Iago into believing his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful, leading to tragic consequences.

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'Pygmalion' by George Bernard Shaw -

This 1913 play critiques social class and transformation through the relationship between Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl he teaches to speak "properly."

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'Medea' by Euripides -

'Medea' tells the story of a woman's revenge after her husband betrays her. Driven by passion and vengeance, she kills their children and his new bride. First performed in 431 BCE, it's a powerful exploration of betrayal and human emotion.

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'The Tempest' by William Shakespeare -

'The Tempest' combines magic, romance, and forgiveness as exiled Duke Prospero seeks revenge on those who wronged him, ultimately finding reconciliation. Premiering in 1611, it's one of Shakespeare's final plays.

Sources: (Time Out) (The Guardian) (Independent) 

See also: Surprising celebrities who got their start on Broadway

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