Famous Playwrights - List of Famous Playwrights - page 8

Playwrights are the persons who write dramatic literature. Most of the times, these dramas are written specifically for performance by actors though some dramatists may also write ‘closet dramas’ which are literary works written in a dramatic format, but not meant for performance. The work of a playwright is similar to that of a screenwriter though it must be noted that playwrights have limited creative freedom as compared to screenwriters. Playwrights create scripts which tell stories through the words and actions of the characters. The success of a play depends a lot upon the storyline and characterization. Thus to be a good playwright one needs a vivid imagination to produce stories that would interest the audience and hold their attention. Like most writers, playwrights often work alone though they also have to collaborate with the actors and directors in producing the final script. The art of writing plays for the stage is an ancient one and some of the earliest known playwrights were from ancient Greece. The best known playwright of all time is undoubtedly William Shakespeare, the 16th century English writer. Coming to the modern times, Samuel Beckett is regarded as the greatest playwright of the 20th century. Browse on to learn more about the life and works of famous dramatists and playwrights from all over the world.

The Most Famous Playwrights

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Aeschylus525 BCGreekAeschylus was an eminent Greek tragedian
Henrik IbsenMarch 20, 1828NorwegianHenrik Ibsen was a famous Norwegian playwright often considered as the father of modern theater
John KaniAugust 30, 1942South AfricanJohn Kani is a South African actor, voice actor, playwright and director
J. B. PriestleySeptember 13, 1894BritishJ.B
Langston HughesFebruary 1, 1902AmericanLangston Hughes was an African-American poet who made significant contributions to the Harlem Renaissance
D. H. LawrenceSeptember 11, 1885BritishD
Luigi PirandelloJune 28, 1867ItalianLuigi Pirandello was a Nobel Prize winning Italian writer and dramatist
James WongApril 20, 1959AmericanHong Kong-born James Wong is a popular American writer, film director, and television producer
Samuel BeckettApril 13, 1906IrishSamuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist, theatre director and poet
Danai GuriraFebruary 14, 1978American, ZimbabweanDanai Gurira is an American actress who is best known for her role as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series 'The Walking Dead'
Joseph Addison

Joseph Addison

Joseph Addison was an 18th century English poet, writer and politician

BritishMay 1, 1672155 views

Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen was a famous Norwegian playwright often considered as the father of modern theater

NorwegianMarch 20, 1828319 views

John Dryden

John Dryden was the greatest literary poet, critic and playwright of the Restoration Period

BritishAugust 9, 1631134 views

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was an African-American poet who made significant contributions to the Harlem Renaissance

A.P. Herbert

Alan Patrick Herbert was an English humorist, novelist, law reform activist

BritishSeptember 24, 1890158 views

August Strindberg

Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright and often referred to as the ‘Father of modern Swedish literature’

SwedishJanuary 22, 1849165 views

Danai Gurira

Danai Gurira is an American actress who is best known for her role as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series 'The Walking Dead'

AmericanFebruary 14, 1978266 views

Henry James

Henry James was an American writer regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism

AmericanApril 15, 1843197 views

Tracy Letts

Tracy Letts is an American screenwriter, playwright and actor

AmericanJuly 4, 1965172 views

Mark Rylance

Mark Rylance is an Academy Award-winning English actor and also a theatre director and playwright

BritishJanuary 18, 1960230 views