Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

Perhaps it's because I just finished a renn faire stint, but the word "slattern" has really fallen by the wayside, hasn't it?

Thank God (or the Devil?) for Scott Sickles. A send-up of "The Exorcist" and possession horror, possessed itself by an oddly charming, flirty story of finding your place in the world. Not the one expected of you, but the one YOU want. And what's more Satanist a theme than that? Absolutely delightful. And full of opportunities for designers to get fun and weird with it.

"Rewind" hits the sweet spot. I'm young enough for this particular nightmare to be nostalgic, yet old enough for it to be terrifying. Many of us are. No spoilers here, but Norkin carries us through a delightful and dark descent, filled to the brim with references guaranteed to make you smile. Until you scream, of course.

As a child, I was terrified of Santa Claus. I was afraid of most strangers, really, but Santa? A magical being who snuck into my house and was always watching? When you think about it, the only thing truly more terrifying is the online review economy.

My fears are founded, goddamn it. And "Tooth or Dare" is hilarious.

Deliciously atmospheric and filled with vigor, Richter's one-act is a tale of a would-be, whirlwind romance's encounter with...well, that's for us to decide. A banshee? The wind itself? Simply one another? Whatever the case, all have been enhanced and given life beyond the tales and stereotypes we know. Any fans of folklore or Celtic mythology will find plenty to love here. Brilliantly weaved and brilliantly told.

Raunchy and poignant in equal measure, Kantor's adaptation of "Lysistrata" is a staggering, tremendous achievement. The structural choices enacted in shifting the original's setting are genuine strokes of genius. Even moreover, it's funny as shit. This play is a goddamned delight, and producing companies should hunt it down like the whale it is (metaphorically). A well-crafted ensemble, physical comedy, wit and wordplay, donuts, it literally has everything you could ever want in your sex farce (with more surprises beneath its surface). The hole may be out of the question, but I cannot blow this play's horn loud enough.

It's a recipe we know and love: a group of strangers in the middle of nowhere, something dangerous is loose outside, or...one of the strangers is the danger. Kashner's execution of the paranoia-inducing pressure cooker is delightfully unique and packed with dread, truly leaving you guessing until the final pages. It's a remarkable and restrained display of pacing, and absolutely the most fun thing you'll read in a hot minute. A perfect example of the potential for horror on stage. Gloriously chilling.

Sullivan goes where Cronenberg would never dare, a sleepover. Saying anything more would spoil the descent, but rest assured it is a bloody, stinky, anguished, manic descent. Good god. A delightful, uncomfortable snapshot of what life brings to the day to day of young women in their mid-20s. It ain't pretty. It's stinky. Stinky stinky stinky.

Everybody toots. What matters is how.

Both a hilarious period comedy and a wise treatise on the power of embracing one's own shame, Blevins' little play is an absolute riot. Wilkin and Doxy are an immediately infectious duo, springing to life off of the page despite their stationary predicament. Any short playfest has a crowd winner with this one, as its gloriously dirty bodily function humor is just appropriate enough for all ages. Stop reading my words and read the play instead. Do it now.

"The Plague" brings a lot of things together, many of them things I fear to spoil, and all of them in combinations that never before had I realized I very much wanted. Carnes' play is a slow-burning, satirical, grand dance into Hell, and an absolute playground for actors, dancers, and choreographers. So much fun will be had here in bringing the world of the studio to life. There's much to, uh...feed upon underneath the surface of it.

Every industry has been plagued by our current bout of unsustainable, late-stage capitalism. Gill's play is a troubling, keening mosaic of three truckers, some veteran, some rookie, all caught up in the vortex. It's an enlightening reminder that at the bottom rung of everything, are people. People with hopes, dreams, aspirations, and faults, just trying to survive in systems that don't particularly care if they do. It's brutal, moving, and heartbreaking, and if anyone is going to make it, it's because of the people willing to stay up with us.