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Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?

Posted by Sammich User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:25:06

I think I would struggle, and that's with the two freebies I get from doing the NYT crossword every day.

What we've become is contrary to what we want
Take a bow

Can only think of the two big ones

Posted by ECEIllinois User icon on September 28, 2026, 18:44:17, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Tennessee Wiliams and Arthur Miller.

Not trivial, but yes

Posted by DT User icon on September 28, 2026, 16:23:33, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Obvious ones are Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller.

After that it gets a bit out of the mainstream, but August Wilson and Thornton Wilder both come to mind. I also know Inge, and remember reading a play by Clifford Odetts in college but I wasn’t sure he was American before googling it.

Mamet was the last one I thought of. I might be able to remember more given time, but none spring to mind right away.

Previous Message

I think I would struggle, and that's with the two freebies I get from doing the NYT crossword every day.

thought you might have come up with the actor / playright

Posted by Potomac User icon on September 28, 2026, 16:42:19, in reply to "Not trivial, but yes"

Sam Shepard. Unless the question was really for people who were "just" playwrights.

He's absolutely included. I'd even include Sinclair Lewis.

Posted by complainant User icon on September 28, 2026, 17:20:53, in reply to "thought you might have come up with the actor / playright"

Although the latter is questionabler, the facts are, he wrought plays for the stage, in the United States, during the 20th Century.

Yes.

Posted by complainant User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:27:16, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Simon, Wilder, Miller, Mamet, O'Neill spring immediately to mind.

I got 4

Posted by biclops User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:10:25, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Tennessee Williams
Arthur Miller
David Mamet
Thornton Wilder

Don't take offense, better make amends
Rip it all to shreds and let it go

dots

Posted by Gene Parmesan User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:01:20, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

august wilson
eugene o'neill
tennessee williams
edward albee
Neil Simon

Previous Message

I think I would struggle, and that's with the two freebies I get from doing the NYT crossword every day.

ALBEE is one of the crossword faves

Posted by Sammich User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:20:41, in reply to "dots"

along with Thomas INGE

What we've become is contrary to what we want
Take a bow

Albee

Posted by VIV User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:28:01, in reply to "ALBEE is one of the crossword faves"

your crying shoulder.

Previous Message

along with Thomas INGE

"the alchemy of the tartar sauce and cheese with the fish combined with the buttery steamed bun is so good." - Sounder re: a Filet O Fish

I too do the NYT Crossword every day!

Posted by Gene Parmesan User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:22:48, in reply to "ALBEE is one of the crossword faves"

working my way back through the archives too.

Previous Message

along with Thomas INGE

I can name 2

Posted by bjl63 User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:58:04, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Mamet and Neil Simon

damn

Posted by biclops User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:11:46, in reply to "I can name 2"

Neil Simon would have given me 5

Don't take offense, better make amends
Rip it all to shreds and let it go

Actually, I can name another

Posted by bjl63 User icon on September 28, 2026, 15:15:30, in reply to "damn"

Tracy Letts, who wrote August Osage County, probably the best play I've seen (not that I have seen very many)

I can name 1 who, ironically, was from Mississippi, not Tennessee*

Posted by bbonb User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:51:05, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Previous Message

I think I would struggle, and that's with the two freebies I get from doing the NYT crossword every day.

Truman Capote sounds like he should be from Miznoz: but no.

Posted by osklister User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:54:55, in reply to "I can name 1 who, ironically, was from Mississippi, not Tennessee*"

Tennessee Ernie Ford?

Posted by Stu User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:51:36, in reply to "I can name 1 who, ironically, was from Mississippi, not Tennessee*"

He was great

Chicken Little poster child

ooo

Posted by shua User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:48:07, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Beyond Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, David Mamet was the only other I could think of, and that's because of Glengarry Glen Ross.

I thought of Waiting for Gadot (because of Waiting for Guffman), but had no idea who wrote it. Though after looking it up, I recognized Samuel Beckett.

yes.

Posted by theBard User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:44:59, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

but only because I've been looking at wikipedia a lot lately.

Adam Rapp from Joliet *

Posted by Poldark User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:41:59, in reply to "Can you name 5 20th century American playwrights?"

Previous Message

I think I would struggle, and that's with the two freebies I get from doing the NYT crossword every day.

Social Misfit who wants to coach Illinois women's basketball.

"Arsenal fans are the only ones that consistently behave like dicks to a rival fanbase."

H. Rap Brown, who is just a bit short of being a playwright (the actual "writing a play" part).

Posted by osklister User icon on September 28, 2026, 14:57:03, in reply to "Adam Rapp from Joliet *"

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