Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

No one is safe. Pulling inspiration from "The Omen," "Rosemary's Baby," "The Exorcist," and every film in-between, Busser fills this fun Mother's Day piece with what is actually one of the greatest trope reversals I've ever seen. How has no one thought of this yet?! I dare not spoil it, but rest assured this short play is absolutely hilarious. Devilishly so. I cannot imagine any festival or production in which it does not bring down the house. It would be so much fun to act in this, or watch it. For now, reading must suffice.

As a Pisces with ADHD who loves coffee, I'm perhaps wired at a base level to adore this play. Tishk's "brain faffing" (real term, look it up) is remarkably written. I cannot overstate how excellently Sickles translates ADHD brain to the stage. He NAILS it. The thought cycles, the imagined scenarios and blurring of memories, the anxiety. I'm so excited to see the trajectory of this play, because it already feels timeless, looking forward, while back at the past at the same time, struggling to find peace in a terrifying now. Brilliantly structured, layered, and heart-wrenching. The Sea, indeed.

This play is bonkers. It is fucking wild and a goddamned delight. I will literally be digesting it (pun-intended, you'll get it) months from now. At one level, a fascinating, zany descent into PTSD and coping with trauma, at another, an eccentric marital comedy, and yet another, a horrifying saga of violence and daredevilry, there is so much here for actors, directors, and designers in equal measure. CSJ's skill is simply immense. I must see this staged. Until then, I shall be haunted (and entranced) by the image(s). Highly recommend.

Theatre should make us uncomfortable. Right? How uncomfortable? Emotionally? What about physically? Do we truly want plays that assault us? When (not if, when) the productions of Rafala's play come along, I'll suppose we'll finally know. To say "prepare your senses" is perhaps cliche, but it's difficult to put into words the daring deftness on display within. In these pages, we are bombarded with ethical quandaries, moral dilemmas, lights and sounds, all of which are meant to pierce our sanity. When they do, we don't have time to think. That is, of course, until we do. A horrific, frozen epic.

A tender, poignant, and affirming reminder that the only thing that just brutally sucks more than death is the regret of life wasted. What matters is grasping all of life that we can, and since we (rarely) know how much time we have, what a lament to not live in pursuit of wonder and kindness! Lovely little short to get anyone ruminating.

A fascinating character study of love, caution, recovery, and more. While the classic set-up provides the comedy we come for, Donnelly's play is also a sobering reminder, just because we've acknowledged our traumas and are working through them, doesn't mean we have any idea what we're doing. We're all doing our best. Sometimes that lines up with others in the same boat (or pool, or ocean), other times...not so much. Each character here is deeply drawn and lived in, and actors/directors would have a hell of a time diving into these roles.

Houston's world just sucks you in. There's a palpable sense of poetic dread seeping out of the set, through every line of dialogue. As we gradually realize the stakes of these young women's world, the metaphors hit, and hard. This is a beautiful play that I long to see staged, delving into and screaming at themes of abandonment, family, purpose, and more. And the visuals would be so chilling live. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

There's nothing more thought-provoking than the ethical quandary: "What would you do to achieve your dream?" Rafala's musing is manic, sardonic, and filled with moments to provoke (uncomfortable?) laughter. It takes shots at systemic poverty, religion, television, and more, but most of all, does so with distinct style and layered characters. There's so much for producing companies to run with here. This is my favorite kind of play, one that I could spend hours unpacking, but most notably, one that gives me something I sure as fuck have never seen before. Check this one out. Highly recommend.

Growing up is hard. As kids, we're expected to make increasingly weighty, life-altering decisions when we're still just trying to figure out ourselves. Poor Mo has to make decisions for two! And the other person is an imaginary elephant! What turmoil! Heyman's short play is an outstanding hoot, but also has a very tender heart at its center. It is a lovely way into the complex issues of letting go, growing up, and a gentle reminder that sometimes, the best thing a friend can do is to remember that your friends are their own people. Or elephants.

Roleplaying has a remarkable capability for therapeutic benefit. This play is proof. And it is brilliant. Now, I love theatre and I love DND, so I am perhaps biased, but Kantor does a fantastic job of giving each of these women a unique, distinct voice and history. And each monologue LANDS. You'd think there'd be a weakling in the bunch, one that shines less than the others, but no. They are all amazing, and deal with delicate, soul-searching topics with the deft construction of a skilled DM. Highly recommend.