Contrary to popular belief, adding a little song and dance to a story does not always make it better. Musicals may reign supreme on Broadway, but plays are what really keep the theater industry alive — out of the 31 shows on Broadway this season, 20 are plays. Sometimes, you’re just not in the mood for a kickline or four-part harmony, and the Arts desk is here to affirm your feelings. If you’re looking to expand your theater horizons to the world of plays — or you’re a Tisch student on vocal rest — here are our recommendations for your next read, based on your favorite musical. 

If you like ‘Suffs,’ read ‘Blue Stockings’

For those mourning the closing of Tisch alum Shaina Taub’s Tony Award-winning musical “Suffs” on Broadway two months ago, consider reading Jessica Swale’s 2013 play “Blue Stockings.” Like “Suffs,” which follows a group of women vying for the right to vote, “Blue Stockings” is rooted in feminism. Set in 1896 England, the story follows four young Girton College undergraduates — Tess, Celia, Carolyn and Maeve — as they fight for academic equality. The conservative faculty harshly pushes against their progressive push for equal access to education, simultaneously bonding the girls together and showcasing their steadfast determination. With impactful messaging and incredibly likable leads, each with their own touching side plots, “Blue Stockings” is worth the time of any “Suffs” fan.

— Skylar Boilard, Arts Editor

If you like ‘The Last Five Years,’ read ‘Betrayal’

Have you ever watched a production of “The Last Five Years” and craved a storyline with even more adultery and reverse chronology, and just one more character? Well, do I have the play for you! Harold Pinter’s 1978 play “Betrayal” follows Emma and Robert, a married couple, and the dissolution of their relationship due to Emma’s seven-year affair with Robert’s best friend, Jerry. The play is told in reverse chronological order, beginning with a scene that takes place after their relationship has dissolved and ending with the beginning of Emma and Jerry’s affair. “The Last Five Years” may have some of Broadway’s best ballads, but “Betrayal” has something even better: Pinter Pauses. 

— Chantal Mann, Performing Arts Editor

If you like ‘Heathers: The Musical,’ read ‘The Wolves’

The clique of high school queen bees currently holding court off-Broadway in Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s musical are called the Heathers. But 10 years ago, a different group of young women was preparing for battle on New York’s stages — on synthetic turf instead of linoleum tiles. Meet the Wolves, the indoor soccer team in Sarah DeLappe’s fierce ensemble drama. Identified solely by number, the athletes debate current news, struggle with changing bodies and devour orange slices during their militant pregame stretches. DeLappe’s version of Heather Chandler is the too-cool-for-school #7 — but watch out for the Veronica Sawyer-equivalent #46, a homeschooled newcomer finding out just how serious high school sports truly are. 

— Ethan Li, Copy Chief

If you like ‘In the Heights,’ read ‘Anna in the Tropics’

Before “Hamilton” made him a household name, Lin-Manuel Miranda was best known for his 2008 musical “In the Heights,” which brought Latino culture to the Broadway stage. Not many people can compete with Miranda’s theatrical genius — except Nilo Cruz and his 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Anna in the Tropics.” Set in a cigar factory in 1929 Florida, a tight-knit Cuban American community struggles to maintain their culture in a new country, fighting to keep tradition alive in their homes and the factory as they fight modernization. Though separated by time and place, both of these stories bring common experiences of the Latino community in America to life.

— Joe Paladino, Staff Writer

If you like ‘Chicago,’ read ‘Destiny of Desire’

If you’re into camp scandal and outlandish drama, consider swapping roaring ‘20s Chicago for a dive into Bellarica, Mexico. What awaits you are baby swaps and lightning storms, doomed romances and the scathing wrath of an ex-beauty queen vicious enough to leave Roxie Hart shaking in her heels. Karen Zacarías’s 2015 play “Destiny of Desire” pays a delightfully over-the-top homage to telenovelas. Heroines Pilar Esperanza Castillo and Victoria Maria del Rio lead us through glamorously dark channels of political corruption, with lies and crimes rowdy enough to send shockwaves through the Cook County cellblock. A wild, loving celebration of musical theater, “Destiny of Desire” doesn’t stop surprising. 

— Siena Wyatt Draher, Contributing Writer

Contact the Arts desk at [email protected].