American Theatre has published its annual list of the Top 10 Most-Produced Plays of the season, tallying plays and musicals produced or slated for production at not-for-profit theatres across the U.S.
Theatre Communications Group tabulates its list based on responses from member theatres, not counting frequently produced theatrical staples such as A Christmas Carol or works by Shakespeare.
This year, 387 theatres out of TCG’s 531 registered member theatres submitted their seasons for inclusion, resulting in one of the most diverse season tallies on record at TCG.
Nine of this year’s 11 most-produced plays (there was a tie) were written or co-written by women, while the annual list of the 20 most-produced playwrights included 11 women and six artists of color.
Pulitzer Prize winners Paula Vogel and Lynn Nottage, two veteran women playwrights who received their long overdue Broadway debuts last season with Indecent and Sweat, respectively, placed on this year’s list, alongside the groundbreaking musical Fun Home, which appears for the second year in a row.
In first place, however, was Lucas Hnath’s Tony Award-winning drama A Doll’s House, Part 2.
The 11 most-produced plays of 2018–2019 follow:
- A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath: 27
- Sweat by Lynn Nottage: 16
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, adapted by Simon Stephens from the novel by Mark Haddon: 13
- Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon: 13
- The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe: 13
- Fun Home, book and lyrics by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori, based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel: 12
- Indecent by Paula Vogel: 12
- Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías: 12
- Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau: 11
- Once, book by Enda Walsh and music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, based on the film by John Carney: 9
- Pride and Prejudice by Kate Hamill, based on the novel by Jane Austen: 9
The 20 most-produced playwrights of 2018–2019 follow:
- Lucas Hnath: 33
- Lauren Gunderson: 29 (including 14 co-writing credits)
- Dominique Morisseau: 26 (including 1 co-writing credit)
- Lynn Nottage: 20 (including 1 co-writing credit)
- Karen Zacarías: 18 (including 3 co-writing credits)
- Kate Hamill:18
- Paula Vogel: 18
- Lisa Kron: 17 (including 13 co-writing credits)
- Simon Stephens: 17
- August Wilson: 16 (including 2 co-writing credits)
- Sarah DeLappe: 13
- Ken Ludwig: 12
- Branden Jacobs-Jenkins: 11
- Jen Silverman: 11
- Christina Ham: 10
- Enda Walsh: 10 (including 9 co-writing credits)
- Tennessee Williams: 10 (including 1 co-writing credit)
- Bess Wohl: 9
- Duncan Macmillan: 9
- Sam Shepard: 9
