Theatre Communications Group's American Theatre magazine has revealed its annual list of the most-produced plays and playwrights at American theatres, which the company compiles from submitted seasons of TCG member theatres nationwide. This year's list encompasses the 2023-24 season in regional theatres around the U.S.
For the second year in a row, Lynn Nottage sits atop the list of playwrights with 22 productions, 14 of which are for Clyde's, which played a Broadway run in 2021. That play was the runner-up on the list of most-produced plays, beaten only by Heidi Schreck's What the Constitution Means to Me. Sixteen productions helped that work lead the list.
“I have nothing but gratitude in this moment, and remain delighted and appreciative that theatres and audiences continue to find resonance in my work," says Nottage in a statement. "When you set out to tell a story, you never know whether it will find its way in the world and become something more than mere text on the page. It always seems miraculous when it ultimately does.”
"I was incredibly moved to learn that What the Constitution Means to Me would be TCG’s most produced play in the country this year," adds Schreck. "I’m thankful to all the theatres around the country, big and small, who are bringing this very personal story to life. I have been in touch with many of the actors, directors, and artistic directors involved, and I am so impressed by their passion for the play’s ideas and also by the community and activist events they have programmed in connection with their productions. The imagination and vision of all these artists has been very inspiring to me."
The most-produced plays list notably includes only three musicals this year, and includes several titles recently seen on Broadway, including What the Constitution Means to Me, Clyde's, POTUS, The Lehman Trilogy, Fat Ham, and The Thanksgiving Play. The most-produced playwrights list, however, continues to favor musical book writers, this year including Ken Ludwig, Howard Ashman, Bob Martin, Harvey Fierstein, Joe Masteroff, and Thomas Meehan. Both lists do not count Shakespeare plays nor productions of A Christmas Carol.
See the full lists below:
The Top 10 Most-Produced Plays:
1. What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck (16 productions)
2. Clyde’s, by Lynn Nottage (14 productions)
3. (tie) POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, by Selina Fillinger (12 productions)
The Lehman Trilogy, by Stefano Massini (12 productions)
5. (tie) Dial M for Murder, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from Frederick Knott (9 productions)
Fat Ham, by James Ijames (9 productions)
7. (tie) The Thanksgiving Play, by Larissa FastHorse (8 productions)
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, by Douglas McGrath (8 productions)
Sanctuary City, by Martyna Majok (8 productions)
10. (tie) Cabaret, by Joe Masteroff (7 productions)
Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe (7 productions)
The Rocky Horror Show, by Richard O'Brien (7 productions)
The Top 20 Most-Produced Playwrights:
1. Lynn Nottage (22)
2. Ken Ludwig (17, 1 co-credit)
3. Heidi Schreck (16)
4. August Wilson (15)
5. (tie) Selina Fillinger (13)
Kate Hamill (13)
Jeffrey Hatcher (13)
8. (tie) Lauren Gunderson (12, 5 co-credits)
Martyna Majok (12)
Stefano Massini (12)
11. (tie) Howard Ashman (10)
Larissa FastHorse (10)
James Ijames (10)
Bob Martin (10)
15. (tie) Harvey Fierstein (9)
Joe Masteroff (9)
Dominique Morisseau (9)
18. (tie) Douglas McGrath (8)
Thomas Meehan (8)
Karen Zacarias (8, 2 co-credits)
See more about the lists at AmericanTheatre.org.
