The Ultimate Playwright Quiz

A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays, and the word "playwright" comes from the Middle English word "pleye" and "wright." The first recorded use of the term "playwright" was in 1605, while the earliest surviving playwrights in Western literature are the Ancient Greeks. Aristotle's Poetics techniques analyzed the principle of action or praxis as the basis for tragedy, and he considered elements of drama such as plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle. During the Italian Renaissance, neoclassical ideal emerged, which dwelled upon unities of action, place, and time. The French scene is a structural unit that is still useful to playwrights today, while the "well-made play" format relies on a series of coincidences that determined the action. Contemporary playwrights in the United States often do not reach the same level of fame or cultural importance as others did in the past. However, new play development has emerged as a phenomenon to showcase various festivals for new work or bring in playwrights for residencies. This has encouraged the partnerships of professional theatre companies and emerging playwrights.