Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

  • Marcus and Sextus Take A Bloody Walk Around London
    21 Feb. 2021
    Unfortunately for Marcus and Sextus (wonderful for us), they make bloody brilliant tour guides. Part history lesson, part buddy comedy, Plummer's play provides us two perfect foils and chuckles as infinite as their ghostly plight. I could imagine the taking entire stroll (sorry, patrol) with a pint in hand and smile on my face, ghost watching our legionaries as they mill about the entirety of Southwark. What used to be Southwark. Where is London Bridge now again? Hilarious.
  • Drowning Ophelia
    20 Feb. 2021
    I LOVED reading this. Strayer's play is brutal, yet delicate, and theatrically enthralling as Jane and Ophelia both struggle to articulate anguish that cannot be put into words or song. The whole piece results in a mind-bending, intricate puzzle of trauma and grief, a brilliant metaphor for what it feels like mentally to try and unpack and acknowledge the hurt caused by our wrongdoers. Such fun design opportunities here, as well! I would love so much to see this on its feet.
  • Paper and Ink
    17 Feb. 2021
    This is a fantastic example of staged horror at its best and most effective. Lee's chamber piece is a tight, provocative short with maddening scares and frightening audio/visual sequences, but ultimately, it's about the relationship between the two sisters, and the need for closure driving a wedge between them. This would be amazing to see, be in, or design, and is a piece you NEED to know about, even if you don't like horror. It's that good. And the ending, sometimes so easily a letdown, is perfect here. Highly recommend.
  • Marcie and Patty Are Getting Married
    17 Feb. 2021
    Bluestein-Lyons' adaptation is joyful and light fare, but in no way should that imply it has less weight or purpose. Even aside from the refreshing existence of an LGBTQ+ relationship in which neither partner dies (spoiler?), it is a lovely, first-rate example of the positive lengths that compromise and thoughtfulness will lead to in communication with your significant other. The physical comedy and hijinks are on point and absolutely delightful, to boot. Wonderfully done.
  • The Jersey Devil Is a Papi Chulo
    17 Feb. 2021
    Oh, the things we'll put up with for a nice bathroom. Iraisa Ann Reilly brings the cringe hard in a devilishly genius satire of sharing a country (and camping site) with woke white hot boys. The terrific ensemble cast of characters feel full and lived in, their relationships and histories with one another so well drawn, letting the comedy and commentary take center spotlight. This play is goddamn hilarious, genre-bending, and the first thing I want to see when we're able to make theatre in front of each other again. Produce this, it deserves a long life ahead of it.
  • A Dream Of Japanese Horror
    9 Feb. 2021
    Matsushita packs A TON of fun and blood into this little horror comedy. And, "because it's a Japanese film," there's a stealthy, ruminative layer of philosophy underneath all the physical comedy. I adore when one line or moment in a play forces me to reconsider everything that came before it, and the ending is quite the beautiful moment. What exactly did that dream mean? And is our dreamer filled with more regret or sadness than they're letting on? One thing's for sure, read this play, and you won't be.
  • GROWTH IN ISOLATION
    8 Feb. 2021
    Cross' drama will take root in your heart! There's some lovely magical realism in here that pops up with a delightful twist (as well as a beautiful reminder that zoom/virtual plays can be fantastic too, they need not be just talking heads of dialogue). The beauty in this one lies within the central metaphor for the long distance relationship, but where it shines is the many ways you can interpret how it affects us for better or worse, as individuals or as a couple. I feel like I could unpack this for hours in the best of ways.
  • Down Cellar
    8 Feb. 2021
    Horror is so difficult on stage because you can't cut away. You have to consistently build and pace your tension down to the second, and Henry does this masterfully. "Down Cellar" is a dark, horrific poem packed to the brim with sick, scary visuals that would both fascinate an audience and give them nightmares. Most frighteningly, the story is all too real, and as the characters reveal more and more of their true selves, our terror grows. A brilliant piece.
  • The Coffeehouse Monologues
    7 Feb. 2021
    No matter how you like your coffee, you'll find Hendricks' monologues dole out sweetness and bitter taste in equal measure. Part Twilight Zone, part purgatory, part body horror, this strange collection of customers and retail workers (many of whom seem to have problems specifically in line with some deadly sins) will suck you in as they regale you with their plights. This piece is charismatic and fun, and you could stage it in oh so many ways. Well done.
  • WASH
    7 Feb. 2021
    With masterful strokes of worldbuilding, Young gives us a deeply theatrical sci-fi that provokes an anguished fury against history and the evils of slavery and racism. Tenith is a phenomenal character, anchoring a layered cast amidst opportunities for designers of every medium to work at the top of their craft. Like the best sci-fi, Young (who has such a gift for story construction) examines a small, tightly composed story with massive implications, asking primal human questions and blurring the line between companionship and ownership. This is exactly the kind of piece we don't see on its feet enough. Produce this.

Pages