When we first think of literary fiction, generally the big three come to mind: novels, short stories, and poetry. But there is something else that I’ve come to appreciate more and more: theater. It is undoubtedly true that plays were meant to be seen on the stage and not read from a book. And yet some of these scripts are so brilliant that they yield great pleasure and insight even by their reading.

Of course, the great and challenging thing about writing a play is the economy involved. You have to tell a great story that can be compressed into a couple of hours. But this is also wonderful for the reader who can get a compelling experience by investing just an hour and a half of their life. So let me suggest four plays all written in the 21st century (theater did not die with Shakespeare), that every preacher ought to read.

The Christians: A Play

By Lucas Hnath
2015
96 pages

The Christians is about the founding pastor of a megachurch, who because of an unsettling experience, comes to no longer believe in eternal punishment for those who are not Christians. He just gets up one Sunday and announces to his church this change in their doctrinal stance. And of course chaos ensues. The play is utterly disconcerting, and your attitude toward the characters changes as it moves forward. Every preacher who reads this play will almost surely try to force it on all their minister friends. The question the play raises, not just for churches but for America, is that if we come to disagree on fundamental points, will the center hold or will the community fly apart? Happily ever after is not in our future.

The Sunset Limited

By Cormac McCarthy
2006
72 pages / 1 hour and 42 minutes

This play’s cover describes it as a novel in dramatic form. The greatest contemporary American novelist has written only this one play. There are only two characters in the play, and they are not given names. They are just called Black and White. White has attempted to commit suicide in the subway. He is educated, urbane, and articulate. Black, a former convict, now out of prison, has become a true believer and a preacher of the gospel. He rescues White and takes him home, and the play basically consists of their conversations. It is thought-provoking and moving. May I suggest the stunning audio version on Audible.

Grand Concourse: A Play

By Heidi Schreck
2015
144 pages

Grand Concourse is a disturbing read because of the language and the actions. I cannot give much of the plot away, but the basic setup is a young woman working in a soup kitchen with a nun whose faith is not very secure. The characters wind up doing incredibly painful things to each other, the whole question of faith in God is thrown in the air, and it is not clear, when it lands, whether it will be gently caught or crash into a million pieces. I would give this play a hard R rating; adults only on this one.

The Pillowman

By Martin McDonagh
2006
72 pages

And finally, The Pillowman, which I consider the most perfectly conceived and executed work of postmodern art of the 21st century. This is what perfection looks like. But here I issue the strongest possible warning: if you dare to read this play, once it is in your head, it will be there forever. What is the play about? Just about everything that matters. And it is dark. Very dark. Very, very dark.