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Shakespeare's works from the late 16th and early 17th centuries have profoundly influenced modern playwriting. His exploration of complex characters, intricate plots, and poetic language continues to inspire modern scripts and storytelling techniques.

Kabuki is a classical Japanese dance-drama known for its stylization and the elaborate make-up worn by performers. Its influence on modern playwriting can be seen in the incorporation of visual spectacle, melodramatic storylines, and gender performance explorations.

Elizabethan Theatre marks the era of Renaissance English drama featuring playwrights like Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. It influences modern playwriting with its themes of power, humanity, and the nature of ambition, as well as the precedent of writing for a broad audience.

Russian Realism, spearheaded by playwrights like Anton Chekhov, introduced a focus on everyday life and the human condition. Modern plays often draw on this influence by prioritizing character development, moral complexity, and plausible events.

Bertolt Brecht's epic theatre introduced techniques meant to provoke rational thought rather than emotional engagement, leading to a critical view of the action on stage. Modern playwriting incorporates this influence through direct audience address, narrative commentary, and self-aware characters.

Postcolonial theatre addresses themes of oppression, identity, and the legacy of colonialism. Contemporary playwrights influenced by postcolonialism explore these themes within both historical and current contexts, often including elements of cultural fusion and hybridity.

Greek tragedy dates back to ancient Greece and includes plays by writers like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. It heavily influences modern playwriting by introducing tragic heroes, narrative structure, and themes of fate versus free will which contemporary playwrights often adapt or respond to.

This early form of professional theatre originated in Italy in the 16th century and is characterized by masked 'types'. Modern playwriting has inherited its use of stock characters, improvised dialogue, and physical comedy, influencing genres like farce and situational comedy.

Emerging in the 19th century, Yiddish theatre combined elements of Jewish folk tradition with modern European theater. It influences modern playwriting by introducing themes of migration, identity, and the Jewish experience, often portrayed with a blend of humor and pathos.

Originating in the mid-20th century, Absurdist Theatre arose out of the existentialist thought and portrays the absurdity of the human condition. Playwrights like Samuel Beckett influence modern drama with their non-traditional narrative structures and themes.

Scandinavian minimalism is known for its simplicity, clean lines, and functionality. In playwriting, it influences the development of characters and settings that are stripped down to their essentials, often creating intense focus on the psychological elements of the drama.

African storytelling is rich with oral tradition, mythology, and ritual. This tradition influences contemporary playwriting by infusing narratives with vibrant characters, moral lessons, and the use of music and dance to convey stories.

Magical realism blends magical elements with the real world. Playwrights influenced by this tradition from Latin America might weave fantastical elements into everyday settings, creating a layered reality that questions the nature of existence.

Noh is a traditional form of Japanese theater combining music, dance, and drama. Modern playwriting sometimes utilizes its stylized movements, mask usage, and focus on monomachic beauty to explore timeless themes in a heightened aesthetic environment.