Alas, when it comes to making lists of the most well-known artists, composers, and, for our purposes today, playwrights, well… you end up with a big ol’ list of dead white men. Does it royally suck that women, people of colour, and other marginalized groups were left out of recognition, deprived of opportunities, and basically sidelined for hundreds of years? Oh you bet it does. It sucks big-time. Does that mean we can bypass learning about all those dead white guys? ‘Fraid not. These are the people who shaped our current landscape of each art form, and they’re the most prolific contributors to the world of the arts today. And, they made a lot of INCREDIBLE shit. 

But, just like with any form of reparation, what we can do is move forward together, now that we know a hell of a lot better. So, first, let’s learn about 10 of the greatest playwrights of all time (other than Shakespeare, who will get his own post later). These are the geniuses you’re most likely to see programmed, hear jokes about, or read references to.

THEN, next Saturday, we’ll learn about 10 of the most important living playwrights. You will be unsurprised to see quiiite a different list of humans, which is fantastic. Progress! 

So: first up, our list of 10 Truly Amazing Dead White Guys Who Wrote Some Kickass Plays…