| A | B |
|---|
| The American Company | the first professional company to produce plays in the colonies |
| troupes from England | the first to act on American stages |
| The Barrymore family | produced a number of fine actors |
| Ira Aldridge | An African American actor |
| Charlotte Cushman | A female American actor who played male roles |
| Eugene O'Neill, Clifford Odets, Arthur Miller | three playwrights who explored the social problems of the early twentieth century |
| Lorraine Hansberry | first african american and youngest person to win the new york drama critics circle award for her play, a raisin in the sun |
| charles gordone | first african american to win the pulitzer prize for drama |
| a soldier's play by charles fuller | another play that has won the Puliter prize |
| lillian hellman | playwright who explores the moral landscape of the south |
| alice childress | playwright who depicts racism |
| James Baldwin | playwright who influenced the civil rights movement |
| wendy wasserstein and Beth Henley | playwrights that deal with issues relating to women's equality and feminism |
| August Wilson | playwright who examines twentieth century african americans |
| david henry Hwang | merges eastern and western cultures |
