• Jean Genet's The Balcony (1956) unfolds against the backdrop of a modern European city in the throes of revolution, deeply influenced by Antonin Artaud's Theater of Cruelty. The play's protagonists weave a mesmerizing tapestry of illusion, persuading revolutionaries to embrace this fabricated dreamscape over the starkness of reality.

• Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Soprano (1950), branded as an "antiplay" by its creator, stands as a pivotal landmark in the Theater of the Absurd. The narrative meanders through a series of nonsensical exchanges between two couples, locking audiences in a surreal dance of words without meaning.

• Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which also captivated audiences as a widely acclaimed film, remains the playwright's signature creation. It delves into the tumultuous lives of two married pairs, gradually peeling back layers of deception and secrets over a single, intense evening. The play concludes with the older couple confronting the harsh truths of their existence, abandoning their refuge in fantasy.

• Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer (1958) is a haunting two-act drama that navigates through the shadowy corridors of madness, lobotomy, pederasty, and cannibalism. Its chilling narrative also found its way onto the silver screen.