 Four Great Russian Plays
by Anton Chekhov
From the golden age of Russian theater: The Inspector General by Gogol; Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard; Gorky's The Lower Depths; and A Month in the Country by Turgenev.
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| |  The Duel and Other Stories
by Anton Chekhov
Six selections from the famed Russian showcase his natural aptitude for detail, dialogue, humor, and compassion. Includes "The Darling," "The Kiss," "Anna on the Neck," the title story, and more.
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| |  Don Juan in Hell: From Man and Superman
by George Bernard Shaw
This dream episode from Man and Superman forms a play within the play, consisting of a dramatic reading in which the Devil himself comments on heaven and hell, good and evil, and human purpose.
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| |  Four Great Restoration Comedies
by William Wycherley
Comedy classics that defined a new era in drama: The Country Wife by William Wycherley; The Man of Mode by Sir George Etheredge; The Rover by Aphra Benn; and The Relapse by Sir John Vanbrugh.
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| |  Twelve Plays by Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare
Hamlet, Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, Othello, King Lear, Julius Caesar, and Much Ado About Nothing.
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 Volpone and The Alchemist
by Ben Jonson
These much-studied and frequently performed comedies by the great Elizabethan playwright satirize the greed, mendacity, gullibility, and pretension that Jonson saw rampant in 17th-century London society.
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| |  The Imaginary Invalid
by Molière, Henri van Laun
A hypochondriac, victimized by pompous physicians, tests the loyalty of a loving daughter and discovers the contempt of his scheming and greedy second wife. This classic comedy reveals the universal frailties of humanity.
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 Five Great Greek Tragedies
by Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus
Features Oedipus Rex and Electra by Sophocles (translated by George Young), Medea and Bacchae by Euripides (translated by Henry Hart Milman), and Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus (translated by George Thomson).
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| |  The Father
by August Strindberg
Highly emotional study of marital upheaval and a no-holds-barred struggle between man and woman. One of the most gripping psychological dramas of modern theater. Biographical Note.
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 The Jew of Malta
by Christopher Marlowe
Prejudice, the intricacies of Mediterranean politics, and Machiavellian strategy abound in this masterpiece of Elizabethan theater, in which the main character schemes to cling to his wealth, his status, and his daughter.
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| |  The Recognition of Sakuntala
by Kalidasa
A classic introduction to Indian theater and aesthetics, this 5th-century tale of a king and a maiden who meet by chance and are separated by a curse was derived from the Mahabharata.
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 Coriolanus
by William Shakespeare
A military hero of ancient Rome attempts to shift from his career as a general to become a politician — a disastrous move that results in his leading an attack on Rome.
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| |  Peer Gynt
by Henrik Ibsen
Masterpiece of world drama explores the virtues and vices common to all humanity as it follows a charming but arrogant young man through his life-long adventures.
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 Ubu Roi
by Alfred Jarry
Stunning, controversial work that immediately outraged audiences at the 1896 premiere with its scatalogical references, features a cruel, gluttonous, and grotesque main character — the author's metaphor for modern man.
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| |  Exiles
by James Joyce
This 3-act play first appeared in 1918 and presents an imaginative reconstruction of Joyce's own life. The protagonist, an Irish writer, has returned from abroad and experiences an estrangement from society.
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 Salomé
by Oscar Wilde
Wilde's notorious masterpiece enacts the biblical tale of a wanton woman's erotic dance and the martyrdom of John the Baptist. Complete English edition (1894) with illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley.
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| |  The Trojan Women and Hippolytus
by Euripides
Two literary classics of human self-understanding: The Trojan Women, one of the most powerful indictments of war ever written, and Hippolytus, a gripping depiction of the struggle to master human passion.
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 Life Is a Dream
by Pedro Calderón de la Barca
One of Spain's outstanding dramas, this 17th-century allegory explores mysteries of destiny, illusory nature of existence, struggle between predestination and free will. Features magnificent poetry, rich in symbolism and metaphor. Excellent new translation.
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| |  Tamburlaine
by Christopher Marlowe
From one of England's greatest playwrights, the work that set the form for later Elizabethan dramas. A 2-part romantic tragedy focusing on one man's relentless rise to greatness and eventual downfall.
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 Major Barbara
by George Bernard Shaw
When a Salvation Army officer learns that her father, a wealthy armaments manufacturer, has donated lots of money to her organization, she resigns in disgust but ultimately realizes that through wealth, people can help each other.
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| |  Phedra
by Jean Racine
False information, passionate love, and grim tragedy form the core of this time-honored classic by one of France's greatest playwrights. Based on Euripides' Hippolytus.
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 Love's Labour's Lost
by William Shakespeare
A well-intentioned king vows to forego all fleshly delights, setting the stage for romantic hijinks. The customary Shakespearean comic elements — lovers in disguise, a witty clown, and sparkling repartee — make it a joy for all.
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| |  R.U.R.
by Karel Capek
Must-read play looks to a future in which all workers are automatons. They revolt when they acquire souls (i.e., when they gain the ability to hate) and the resulting catastrophe make for a powerful theatrical experience.
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 All's Well That Ends Well
by William Shakespeare
The daughter of a renowned physician pursues her passion for an elusive bridegroom through a comic maze of mistaken identities, betrayals, repentance, and dramatic revelation. An extraordinary combination of romantic melodrama and outright farce.
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| |  An Ideal Husband
by Oscar Wilde
Scintillating drawing-room comedy revolves around a blackmail scheme that forces a married couple to reexamine their moral standards. The dialogue between young lovers, society matrons, and a formidable femme fatale keeps the action brisk.
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 The Seven Against Thebes
by Aeschylus
Oedipus's sons vie for the Theban crown. The victor, Eteocles, expels his brother, Polyneices, who flees to Argos and recruits a force of 7 champions to lead an assault on Thebes, with tragic results.
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| |  The Winter’s Tale
by William Shakespeare
Running an emotional gamut from betrayal and broken hearts to romance and reconciliation, this 1611 tragicomedy begins with the tyrannical actions of a jealous king, whose baseless suspicions destroy his own family.
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 Tartuffe
by Molière
Brimming with lively humor and satirical plot devices, this timeless comedy concerns the outrageous activities of a penniless scoundrel and religious pretender as he wreaks havoc among members of his benefactor's household.
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| |  The Lower Depths
by Maxim Gorky
In Gorky's 1902 dramatic masterpiece, a band of down-and-outers congregate to play cards, tell stories, and debate whether it is better to live without illusions or to maintain a romanticized worldview.
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 The Wild Duck
by Henrik Ibsen
The idealistic son of a corrupt merchant exposes his father's duplicity, but in the process, destroys the very people he wishes to save.
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| |  H. M. S. Pinafore
by William Schwenck Gilbert
Deliciously satirical tale, full of saucy banter and inventive rhymes, of the captain's daughter and the lowly sailor who seeks her hand. As delightful on the printed page as well as the stage.
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 Five Comic One-Act Plays
by Anton Chekhov
Humorous gems by one of the masters of modern drama: The Anniversary, An Unwilling Martyr, The Wedding, The Bear, and The Proposal. For students, general readers, and amateur and professional theater groups.
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| |  The Beggar’s Opera
by John Gay
A receiver of stolen goods informs on his chief supplier, setting in motion an increasingly absurd turn of events. This satirical 1728 play was to become the prototype for Threepenny Opera.
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 Oedipus at Colonus
by Sophocles
Blamed for the discord within his former kingdom and banished by its citizens, Oedipus wanders for years in lonely exile until he finds a haven in a sacred olive grove at Colonus.
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| |  The Duchess of Malfi
by John Webster
The evils of greed and ambition overwhelm love, innocence, and the bonds of kinship in this dark tragedy concerning the secret marriage of a noblewoman and a commoner.
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 An Enemy of the People
by Henrik Ibsen
When the famous and financially successful baths in his home town are contaminated, the local doctor insists they be shut down for expensive repairs, causing upheaval among the townsfolk.
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| |  The Rivals
by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Immensely popular comedy of manners featuring such memorable characters as the lovely Lydia Languish, her suitor, Capt. Jack Absolute; and Lydia's aunt — Mrs. Malaprop, cleverly revolves around false identities, romantic entanglements, and parental disapproval.
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 Uncle Vanya
by Anton Chekhov
This structurally and psychologically compact drama explores the complex interrelationships between a retired professor, his second wife, and the daughter and brother-in-law from his first marriage.
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| |  Six Characters in Search of an Author
by Luigi Pirandello
Six individuals, the incomplete creations of an author's imagination, demand dialogue for their story. This open-ended drama excited both controversy and acclaim at its 1921 premiere and remains a milestone in modern theater.
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 Ghosts
by Henrik Ibsen
Powerful psychological drama (1881) exposes hypocrisy of social conventions. Mrs. Helen Alving is haunted by her husband's infidelities and the disease he has passed to their son.
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| |  Bacchae
by Euripides
Classic Greek tragedy concerns the catastrophe that ensues when the King of Thebes, Pentheus, imprisons Dionysus and attempts to suppress his cult. Striking scenes, frenzied emotion, choral songs of power and beauty.
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 What Every Woman Knows
by James M. Barrie
Married by special agreement to John Shand, Maggie Wylie proves to be a highly effective voice for her politician husband. One of the author's most realistic and important theatrical works.
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| |  Henry IV, Part I
by William Shakespeare
Great drama of nobles' rebellion against King Henry, complicated by his problems with his wayward son Prince Hal. Superb blend of courtly intrigue, battlefield action and the wonderful comic interludes featuring Sir John Falstaff.
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| |  Prometheus Bound
by Aeschylus
One of the greatest of the classical Greek dramas, based on the Greek legend of the Titan demi-god who, against the will of Zeus, steals fire from the gods for the benefit of man.
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 Everyman
by Anonymous
The most durable of medieval morality plays, along with 3 other classics: The Second Shepherd’s Play, Noah’s Flood and Hickscorner. All from standard texts.
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| |  Electra
by Sophocles
Masterpiece of drama concerns the revenge Electra takes on her mother for the murder of her father. One of the best-known heroines of all drama and a towering figure of Greek tragedy.
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 Volpone
by Ben Jonson
Great Elizabethan satire concerns a wealthy, lecherous old man who feigns a mortal illness to solicit bribes from greedy acquaintances.
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| |  The Way of the World
by William Congreve
Greatest of all Restoration comedies depicts the scheming of a nest of shallow, deceitful aristocrats to prevent two lovers from marrying. Delicious verbal battles of the sexes, exceptional depths of feeling and sensitivity.
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 The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to the Sea
by J. M. Synge
Two lyrical, beautifully crafted dramas set among the folk of the Aran Islands and western Irish coastlands. Reprinted from authoritative editions, complete with Synge's preface to The Playboy of the Western World. New introductory Note.
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| |  The Three Sisters
by Anton Chekhov
One of Chekhov's most powerful plays probes the lives and dreams of Olga, Masha and Irina, former Muscovites now living in a provincial town from which they long to escape.
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 Miss Julie
by August Strindberg
One of the greatest classics of modern theater concerns a willful young aristocrat's seduction of her father's valet during a Midsummer's Eve celebration. Complete with Strindberg's highly-regarded critical preface.
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| |  The Misanthrope
by Molière
One of the best of Molière's comedies, focusing on a man who is quick to criticize the faults of others, yet remains blind to his own. Publisher's Note.
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 She Stoops to Conquer
by Oliver Goldsmith
Charming satire concerns a young lady who poses as a serving girl to win the heart of a young gentleman too shy to court ladies of his own class. Notes.
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| |  The Cherry Orchard
by Anton Chekhov
Classic of world drama concerns passing of semifeudal order in turn-of-the-century Russia, symbolized in the sale of the cherry orchard owned by Madame Ranevskaya. Showcases Chekhov's rich sensitivities as an observer of human nature.
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 The School for Scandal
by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
A theater classic, often called the best comedy of manners in English, is a delightful play that brilliantly skewers the affectation and pretentiousness of aristocratic Londoners of the 1770s.
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| |  Arms and the Man
by George Bernard Shaw
One of Shaw's most popular comedies, deflating romantic misconceptions of love and warfare. Reprinted from an authoritative early edition, complete with Shaw's preface to Volume II of Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant.
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 Hedda Gabler
by Henrik Ibsen
This dark psychological drama depicts the evil machinations of a ruthless, nihilistic heroine. Readers will discover an exploration of the nature of evil and the tragedy that lies in human frailty.
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| |  Five Great Short Stories
by Anton Chekhov
Masterfully written tales by one of the greatest practitioners of the form. Stories include "The Black Monk," "The House with the Mezzanine," "The Peasants," "Gooseberries," and "The Lady with the Toy Dog."
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