10 Plays To Read Or Watch In The Next Four Years

It feels bizarre to say that a musical set on 9/11 made me smile. But Come From Away is that rare blend of heartbreaking and utterly, transcendentally uplifting. When American airspace was closed on September 11th, 2001, over 7,000 airline passengers (and two chimpanzees) were stranded in a small town in Newfoundland, Canada. Come From Away adapts their true stories into this breathtaking musical. The music alone is a force of nature. This show sends a powerful message against hate, and it's a timely reminder that we are all global citizens, no matter where we come from. (Plus, this is one that you can see right now if you're in New York City!)

Angels in America is actually two full length plays, and almost no description can do them justice. A Mormon leaves his wife for a man. The man leaves his lover, who has AIDS, for the Mormon. The lover with AIDS encounters an angel in the midst of Reagan-era America. But this play is much more than the sum of its parts, and it's a vital read as we struggle to keep living and loving each other under another oppressive American regime.

Topdog/Underdog is not quite as overt with its national themes (although there is one character who dresses up as Honest Abe). But it is a stunning, intimate play about two brothers named Lincoln and Booth. Both are haunted by their own past, as well as the specter of American history. Suzan-Lori Parks is masterful when it comes to creating stomach-churning tension... though if you know your history, you probably know where she's going with these characters.

Yeah, I want to see Hamilton, too. But if you're a sap like me who can't afford a ticket, Hamilton: The Revolution is the next best thing. As the annotated libretto of the musical, this book includes all the lyrics from the show plus some behind the scene insights. Hamilton is a diverse, hip-hop inspired retelling of the American Revolution (remember how America was founded on the basis on civil disobedience?). And, as we all know already, Hamilton is a love letter to young, scrappy, and hungry revolutionaries everywhere.

This is a short one. You can read it in one sitting. But after that, you'll probably want to take a shower. Political activist Harold Pinter can write a scene of breezy small talk at a cocktail party, and actually make it about the totalitarian regime that has taken over the government. Both Party Time and New World Order are strange, short, dystopian plays, and both are distressingly relevant right now.

The Crucible is about the Salem witch trials. But it's also about the McCarthy hearings, when Americans were put on trial for being alleged communists in the 1950s. And really, it's the sort of brilliant, bone-chilling play that's relevant to any era in which the government is ruled by fear, suspicion, and bigotry rather than fact.

Ruined is not a play for the faint of heart. Set in a brothel in the middle of the Congo's civil war, Ruined brings us into the lives of those refugee women who have been brutally "ruined" by sexual violence. There are moments of humor and moments of beauty, but the heart of Ruined lies in exposing the ugly truth behind patriarchy, war, and colonialism.

On a much lighter note... The Frogs! Stephen Sondheim is one of the musical theatre greats, but The Frogs is one of his lesser-known works. It's a very, very "free" adaptation of Aristophanes' The Frogs, the plot involves the Greek god Dionysus and a sing-off between William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw, and it's a fairly silly play. But, despite being a comedy, the unshakable message of The Frogs is to pay attention, stand up, and get angry about your political beliefs. Don't just sit on a lily pad waiting for someone else to fix things.

Amir Kapoor is a Pakistani-American lawyer. He's wildly successful, and not especially interested in reconnecting with his roots. His wife, Emily, is a white artist fascinated by Islam. And then they host a dinner party. Disgraced is a tense, often funny, often shocking play exploring identity and Islamophobia in liberal America. It also doubles as manual for what not to do at a dinner party.

It's hard to pick just one Shakespeare play to read during this administration. Our president's relationship with his kids certainly brings King Lear to mind. Macbeth has the right tone. But Richard III is often called Shakespeare's "most powerful study of evil." Readers disagree on whether Richard himself is irredeemably evil, or the inevitable product of a toxic ruling class... so I'll let you decide that for yourself. I'm just going to say that Richard's vicious rise to power is feeling awfully relevant right about now.