Recommended by Andrew Martineau

Pre-wedding experiences between family members can be perfect situations for dramatic conflict, but they must be handled with an expert wordsmith to work. Sickles takes a common scenario between two sisters with very different personalities and experiences and creates a very heartfelt, funny and surprising play of what wedding jitters is all about. A frank talk about sex, intimacy and love, VIRGINS is beautiful.

This is a very funny yet thought-provoking play for artists of all stripes who have spent a decade trying to live their dream and learn how life, and obnoxious people with the same dream, can slowly suck that spark right out of you. The dialogue is witty and engaging, and the drinking makes the characters funnier as the pity party intensifies. I would love to see the painting on stage. I would love to see this—period!

The poignancy in this brief play is matched only by its powerful message of fear and confusion about an American dream lost in violence. The birthday cake is both a painful reminder of loss and a courageous celebration of life. This play packs a strong punch.

There is much to be admired in this play about a forbidden love between two entities that are not supposed to love and that are controlled and monitored at every turn. I found my romantic side rooting for them the whole time, and yet my rational mind kept telling me it could all be futile. Fantastic in its sublime theatricality and philosophical musings. I would love to see this play and these characters brought to life!

As I was reading this, I realized that I have read very few plays about being vegan, and so I was happy to read this entertaining play with teen characters on the topic. It really drives home the point that people are often insensitive to vegans, when they should at least accept the different viewpoint if they don’t feel like hearing all of the benefits, like helping to save the planet. The last comment one of the boys makes about vegans preaching about it when he brought it up is perfect for post-show discussion. Excellent!

The connections we make, or think we might have made, in earlier periods in life, can be fuzzy at best. LATE REUNION examines the interactions we have with others when the other person searching for a connection may be trying to reconnect after a brief relationship or else misleading us altogether. The play sharply reminds us to cautiously assess these ambiguous connections. This is quite a relevant play and should spark intriguing post-show discussion.

The opening exchange about cologne and what various scents represent to different communities really draws us into this awkward first meeting, especially when we recognize the importance of smell to Jason, as well as Robby’s cluelessness about Jason’s blindness. Every line in this excerpt is multi-layered and reveals subtext, and yet the dialogue is appropriately light and conversational. I really want to read, or better yet, see the full-length version now.

I love plays about community theatre productions and all that can go wrong, and Thompson's clever play turns the popular farcical plot line upside down and creates a very original, very funny play. The pantomime aspect of the play within the play must be hysterical with the right actors, and the director's stream-of-consciousness horror during the show rings so true to this former director of community and college productions. You know that the director must have given these actors the same notes in his head multiple times! I really enjoyed this play. Cue the applause sound now!

There is an amazing metaphor in this short play about three sisters on Chincoteaugue Island in Virginia involving a bucket of crabs fighting for survival. Like Chekhov’s famous sisters, these women are dealing with a strong feeling of unrest. They have ideological differences that keep them from connecting, despite the wine, which they hope will bring back pleasant memories from the past. Discussion of the wild ponies there causes more disagreement about personal liberties. A beautifully written play for strong women. Well done!

This is a play that keeps raising the unexpected to new levels and builds to a highly satisfying crescendo. I must admit that I thought the mother was going to turn out to be a sociopath when the son and girlfriend find the clothes with their names on them, but there are enough revelations about family members here to make the ending work beautifully. Rachel Feeny-Williams has a true gift for writing engaging characters and sparkling, fun dialogue. Very entertaining!