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Quiz about PlayRight
Quiz about PlayRight

Play-Right Trivia Quiz


This quiz is all about playwrights and their plays. How many questions can you get right?

A multiple-choice quiz by Lalenya. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
Lalenya
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
396,840
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
9 / 10
Plays
625
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 194 (3/10), Guest 212 (4/10), daveguth (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Three of the four playwrights below were born in Ireland. Which one did NOT hail from the Emerald Isle? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which French playwright, ironically, died while performing the title role in his last play, "The Imaginary Invalid"? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which of the following plays was NOT written by Eugene O'Neill? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which playwright, born in Mississippi, renowned in part for a play set in Louisiana, and having a third state for a nickname, was thought to have died by choking on the cap of a bottle of eye drops or nasal spray? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which Romanian-French playwright, known for exemplifying the Theatre of the Absurd, wrote "Rhinoceros"? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which playwright is best known for "The Threepenny Opera", on which he collaborated with composer Kurt Weill? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which flamboyant English playwright, known for his dressing gowns and cigarette holders, wrote many songs in addition to his comedies and dramas? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which playwright, born in Prague, became the last president of Czechoslovakia and, subsequently, the first president of the Czech Republic? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which English playwright, known as the Bard of Avon, is commonly recognized as the author of "Titus Andronicus", "The Winter's Tale", and "Pericles, Prince of Tyre"? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which of the following plays was written by Samuel Beckett? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Oct 12 2024 : Guest 194: 3/10
Oct 05 2024 : Guest 212: 4/10
Oct 01 2024 : daveguth: 10/10
Sep 30 2024 : Guest 73: 1/10
Sep 09 2024 : Guest 12: 10/10
Sep 07 2024 : griller: 10/10
Sep 02 2024 : Guest 74: 10/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Three of the four playwrights below were born in Ireland. Which one did NOT hail from the Emerald Isle?

Answer: Eugene O'Neill

Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953), the son of an Irish immigrant, was born in New York City, United States of America, in Longacre Square (now better known as Times Square). The others were all born in Dublin, Ireland. Seán O'Casey, in particular, was greatly influenced by his homeland and was known for his plays about Dublin's working-class poor, including "The Shadow of a Gunman" (1923), "Juno and the Paycock" (1924), and "The Plough and the Stars" (1926).
2. Which French playwright, ironically, died while performing the title role in his last play, "The Imaginary Invalid"?

Answer: Molière

Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, Molière (1622-1673) is acclaimed for writing farces. He suffered from tuberculosis and, while performing the title role in "The Imaginary Invalid" (the title of which has alternatively been translated as "The Hypochondriac"), began having seizures of coughing and hemorrhaging. He was transported to his home, where he died that same night.
3. Which of the following plays was NOT written by Eugene O'Neill?

Answer: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

The award-winning "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" was written by Edward Albee. A movie version, released in 1966, starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as the dysfunctional couple Martha and George, who freak out their houseguests with their complicated mindgames.
4. Which playwright, born in Mississippi, renowned in part for a play set in Louisiana, and having a third state for a nickname, was thought to have died by choking on the cap of a bottle of eye drops or nasal spray?

Answer: Tennessee Williams

The official cause of the death of Thomas Lanier Williams III, better known as Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) was ruled asphyxiation by choking on the cap of a bottle of eye drops or nasal spray. However, some now believe that the medical examiner invented this cause of death in an attempt to save William's reputation and that he more likely died due to an overdose of Seconal.

Of the incorrect answers, Tennessee Ernie Ford was a singer, Georgia O'Keeffe a painter, and Michigan J. Frog a cartoon character.
5. Which Romanian-French playwright, known for exemplifying the Theatre of the Absurd, wrote "Rhinoceros"?

Answer: Eugène Ionesco

Born Eugen Ionescu in Romania, Eugène Ionesco (1909-1994) spent much of his childhood in France and wrote his plays in French. He is known as an exemplar of Theatre of the Absurd, which used absurdism and surrealism to address existentialist themes. His most famous play, "Rhinoceros", inspired by the rise of fascism in Romania, involved the transformation, one by one, of a town's residents into rhinoceroses.
6. Which playwright is best known for "The Threepenny Opera", on which he collaborated with composer Kurt Weill?

Answer: Bertolt Brecht

Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (1898-1956), better known as Bertolt Brecht, was best known for "The Threepenny Opera", his adaptation, with Kurt Weill, of John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera". He wrote the lyrics and Weill the music, including "Mack the Knife", which was later covered by Bobby Darin. Brecht and Weill also collaborated on other works, including "Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny", which gave us "Alabama Song", later covered by such artists as The Doors and David Bowie.
7. Which flamboyant English playwright, known for his dressing gowns and cigarette holders, wrote many songs in addition to his comedies and dramas?

Answer: Noël Coward

The witty, prolific, and versatile Sir Noël Peirce Coward (1899-1973) wrote many comedies, such as "Blithe Spirit" and "Fallen Angels". His dramas include "Peace In Our Time", which depicts an alternative history in which the Nazis won World War II. In addition, he has hundreds of songs to his credit, including "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" and "Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans".
8. Which playwright, born in Prague, became the last president of Czechoslovakia and, subsequently, the first president of the Czech Republic?

Answer: Václav Havel

Václav Havel (1936-2011) gained fame initially as a playwright with his critiques of the communist regime of Czechoslovakia, including such works as "The Garden Party" and "The Memorandum". Blacklisted due to his participation in the Prague Spring protests, he increased his political activism and became a key figure in the Velvet Revolution that toppled the communist government.
9. Which English playwright, known as the Bard of Avon, is commonly recognized as the author of "Titus Andronicus", "The Winter's Tale", and "Pericles, Prince of Tyre"?

Answer: William Shakespeare

The exceedingly prolific William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote the tragedy "Titus Andronicus", the comedy-romance "The Winter's Tale", and the history "Pericles, Prince of Tyre", although he is better known for many other works, such as "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "King Lear", and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

His tragedy "Macbeth" is commonly known in theatrical circles as "The Scottish Play", as it is considered bad luck to say its name in a theatre. William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, which is believed to have been his 52nd birthday (although no birth records have been located, he is known to have been baptized on April 26, 1564).

Although some scholars believe that at least some of Shakespeare's works were written by Christopher Marlowe or Francis Bacon, they represent a small minority.
10. Which of the following plays was written by Samuel Beckett?

Answer: Waiting for Godot

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), a Theatre of the Absurd playwright, wrote "Waiting for Godot", in which two characters wait for a third who never arrives. Beckett's wish that his tombstone be "any colour, as long as it's grey" (a wish that, upon his death, was honored) was in keeping with the bleak style of his works.

All of the incorrect answers were written by David Mamet (born 1947).
Source: Author Lalenya

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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