Not sure what you're asking for in the poll, but to me what makes Shakespeare is:

a) Strong, deep characters.

b) Exquisite use of language, especially wordplay.

c) Dirty jokes and physical comedy.

Given that, I think the Bard would love Larry Shue's work (The Nerd, The Foreigner), much of Ackbourne, and some of Neil Simon's better stuff (the Brighton Beach plays and Lost In Yonkers).  He might like Mamet. 

I think he would toss Tennesee Williams and Eugene O'Neill into the river, for being devoid (or nearly) of humor.  Even Hamlet has jokes, many of them crass jokes.

I think he would hate 90% of modern produced plays, because they are thin, linguistically ugly, and humorless.

And his absolute favorite would be Steven Sondehim musicals.

Of course, I'm probably revealing more of my own preferences than Shakespeare's (although I love Williams).

What do YOU think, pauliebonn?

Well, I may have to go back to the scripts.  Offhand I can't imagine Amanda or Stanley getting lots of laughs.  (Okay, maybe Stanley scratching his butt and raving about the Napoleonic Code.)

But Big Daddy dying of cancer - now THAT's funny!

Remember, I'm saying I LOVE ol' Tom's plays - I just never thought of them as having much humor.

Tristanrobin -

    I get your point; I think it's just old age dimming my memory.  I'm usually the one who is adamant about finding the humor in drama.  (For example, I remember the NoNeckMonsters as being offstage only.  Maybe that was just our production.  Their parents are funny, though.)   I hereby retract the Williams comment as having been blown out a nonsentient orifice during a break at work.  Wanna argue about O'Neill, now?

Gaafa -

     I don't think we're discussing the Historical Shakespere, here, whoever he was - to me a very uninteresting argument, anyway, over Who Wrote The Plays - if you take the the question to be, "what modern plays best and least meet the standards set by the canon of plays generally published under the name of the Bard of Avon" , what would your answer be?

Edit to add:  I meant to work the word "skinnamarinkidoo" into the above discussion of Cat somewhere.  Couldn't do it.  I apologize for the omission.  Thank you and goodnight.

I have been asked what I think Mr. Bill (OH NO!!!!) would enjoy or not.

Although I am a fan of Samuel Beckett, I think Willy would cut his throat if he saw waiting for Godot.

I do believe he would enjoy Mamet, Sondheim, and Simon..

Come now people!  Let's face facts. if the Bard were around he would be writing and working on TV.  It appeals to all classes and is generally full of the most common denominator material.  Plus, TV. writers unabashedly steal, crib and recycle material on a weekly basis.  (Sound like someone you know?)

I agree with th8rguykc .....he would probably be a soap-opera fan ( in secret of course) and would love our war epics.....I could imagine he would be impatiently waiting for the next season of "The Sopranos".

Marber?  Ugh.  Closer to me just seemed like a cheap, unoriginal copy of far better character studies about cheating (e.g., Betrayal).  And the language in Closer is so stupid.  Unlike Mamet, who actually uses four-letter words to some artistic end, it seemed like Marber was TRYING to make a gimmick out of it.  "Ooh, people are gonna love this play because I stuck in all these expletives."

Falstaff29,

We are up to 26 post each, and we're still not leads, guess it must be 30 post.  While you are somewhat right about Closer, the play far surpases the film, as is typical. I saw it when I was in London a couple years back Dealer's Choice and Howard Katz are terrific reads.  I am looking forward to reading his newest work Musicians.