The 30 greatest American family dramas

American playwrights know how to keep it in the family.

By David Cote, Adam Feldman and Helen Shaw Fri Mar 23 2012

Since as far back as fifth-century B.C. Athens, playwrights have plucked the family tree for the fruits of comedy and tragedy. And while changing customs and technology have altered every aspect of our lives, the family remains a basic unit of society, source material for dramatists today. To compile this ranked list, we had to narrow the category a bit, to American nonmusical works. It’s worth noting that a significant number of the titles—and many in the top ten—are by dead white males from the previous century. Either that means the genre had its heyday 70-odd years ago, or family dramas by women and playwrights of color will make their impact on the canon in the years to come. At any rate, everyone is welcome at the table.


Click here to enter the list


  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
Share your thoughts
  4. * mandatory fields

Comments & ratings

Rated as: 4/5 (4 ratings)

  • I'm going to read through the list as soon as I have time--since it's not all on a single page--but my first reaction is that family dramas have largely defined American theater and that this has been, still is, a big handicap. Three of my favorite British dramas from recent years, chosen from memory at random, are Patrick Marber's Closer, Michael Frayn's Democracy, and Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. Why doesn't American drama try more often to do the kind of things those plays do?

    John Branch Wed Mar 28 2012
    Report
  1. 1
  2. 2