Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

A delightful spot of absurdism for your morning (or any time of day). In an unforgiving world, is it truly better to play it safe? Or is it more fulfilling to live life to the fullest, consequences be damned? Only one thing is for sure. Carrot. Carrot reveals all.

Maybe.

Any group would have a most wondrous time staging this.

The works of Charles Scott Jones are a pure vibe. I've read a fair number of plays, but nowhere else have I encountered the complex combination of surreal, primal, and immensely poetic that he creates, time and again, without effort. I daresay it's an addictive drug, and "The Love Astronaut" is perhaps the perfect example. If you're unfamiliar with his work, it's a perfect place to start. If you are, well...he's outdone himself.

If I don't stop now, I'll quote the entire thing, so I'll leave with this thought...the staging of this would be so goddamn amazing.

Folklore has lasted through the ages because aside from the moral lessons offered, aside from the fantastic twists and turns of events, at its core, it is comprised of good stories. These stories strike a chord in any age, because they speak right to the very heart of our humanity. The only thing that changes is the storyteller and the embellishments they choose to offer. This is a beautiful adaptation. Norkin's execution is deft, insightful, and contagious, and would thrill all involved in telling the tale. This is magic waiting to be released.

In a marvelous juxtaposition of the "typical?" circus clown experience, Floyd-Priskorn's one-act provides mirth and hilarity in spades. The interplay between Cathleen and Rebekah (as well as their manager) is filled with the literal perfect amount of sass, and would be so much fun for actors and audiences alike. Love (or escape) really does hit us when we least expect it, doesn't it?

Whether you are a fan of drag or Greek mythology (if both, you are not ready), Bavoso's divine comedy is filled to the brim with images, sequences, and bits that will remind you why you love theatre. I shudder to spoil any of it, but good god the puns alone. The puns! YOU ARE NOT READY. Despite that, I highly encourage you to dive into this epic of found family, themed lip-sync routines, and the destruction of the patriarchy. Thrilling, hilarious, and empowering.

God is dead. Wait, correction. God is just "kind of a dick." Sure, they may have a 5000-year plan, but to an immortal, that's like asking us where we see ourselves in five years. Proctor's writing is fresh, daring, and absolutely hilarious. If you're unfamiliar with her voice, "Alternative Canon" is the perfect introduction, as she deftly and delightfully turns these familiar religious icons (as well as a handful of angels) into living, breathing humans. Humans with very human emotions, problems, and hopes. And idiosyncrasies. And sex drives. And, like, hesitancies towards wandering through deserts willy nilly.

Okay. Confession time. My worst audition ever was for JMU's musical theatre program. I chose material that I didn't really connect with on a deeper level. I sang "Send in the Clowns" and did a monologue from Albee's "The Sandbox." While I do not regret that decision (or get in), I do regret not running those choices by a friend who would have encouraged me to push myself.

Thank god for Evan, whose support for Jesse's choice just gives me all the feels. Such a beautiful short piece. Or to quote Evan, "really good."

Without delving too much into my own past, as someone who's also used their college degree to tell fortunes for entertainment purposes, Tina's plight struck a "sudden and unexpected" chord with me. Tarot is still seen as taboo, perhaps even blasphemous by far too many, but Murphy does a stellar job through her characters of revealing it for what it is. A tool. One you use during a time of reflection. In the right head space, we're never so much looking for direction, as permission to feel what we might already know deep down. And time to work through it.

Samantha Marchant consistently creates some of the most arresting, fascinating images I've seen on the page. They are such delights for actors, directors, designers, and audiences alike. In "dr(ELLA)...", a search for the right pair of undergarments turns into...well, a lot of things. I will be digesting this powerful play for some time, as it touches on loss, yearning, connection, hope, and everything in-between. Seriously. Read this. Then do it. Now.

Do I pretend to know what "ontological" means? Yes, I do. Did I look it up? Yes, I did. Do I pretend to know about more "Dawson's Creek" and Scientology than I do? No. I know nothing. I know woefully little. James Van Der Beek. What I do know is that Gatton never fails, and his short play of Russian nesting doll dreams is hilarious. And yes, pretty privilege is real.

My hair got longer as I read it.

And I'm smiling now.

You know, only a little.