Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

Hiding is a rational, natural response in lieu of having the difficult conversations. Trauma is complex, exceedingly hard to work through with our own selves, much less other people, or perhaps most frighteningly, those closest to us. Heyman's moving Seder play reminds us how insurmountable it can feel to be open with those we love. That it's often messy, and we say things we regret. But if we can manage to come out of hiding, or be vulnerable enough to search for one another, that it is worth it. Beautiful piece.

Martin has always excelled at those small, soft moments, gently capturing people who are at their most human, in all the beauty and ugliness that make up the word. With "Going through Hell," I daresay he has outdone himself. This is a beautiful play that is immaculately structured and composed. It is funny. It is cringe. It is horrible. And it constantly surprises. A wonderful and welcome adaptation of the story we've heard and know, but so much more and so much its own tale. Highly recommend.

We all know the story. Or do we? Soucy proves maybe we don't actually know anything until it's confirmed for us. "The Midnight Cafe" is a fun little jaunt through charted horror territory, or so we think, until Soucy pulls the rug out from under our expectations in a refreshing, thought-provoking way. And what's underneath the rug changes everything. Wonderfully built script.

God, this would be fun to stage. Lark's adaptation turns the tale of Cecelia's rest cure into a sprawling, disorienting playground, perpetually surrounded by yellow wallpaper that seeps and slides insidiously into her body and brain (as well as ours). Disturbing, unsettling, and filled with images sure to linger after you're done, this is how you do it. Absolutely brilliant.

Culture is beautiful. It's also messy, filled with "rules" both spoken and unspoken. Urrutia's monologue is stunning and heartfelt, asking what does it mean to truly belong, and how do you connect with those closest to you despite words themselves being a barrier? A fantastic read. It would be amazing to see performed live.

100 words is not enough.

You start this play & instantly think, "I'm so on board." You get further and realize the immensity of what Kirkman is deconstructing, and you go, "Kirkman, you goddamn genius." But then you get further and hit another line, and you go, "You could also read this this way." And THEN, you could read it this way. Or this way. And that way.

No matter the way(s), the best art makes you feel seen, however old (or new) you are. Stage this now. Forever. For as long as we have art. Goddamn genius.

Why did any of us really make the choices we made as high schoolers? The answers were probably simple, but the reasons those particular answers were the answers couldn't be more complex and layered. Malakhow's beautiful portrait of four youths colliding over the course of several days in Northern New Jersey is stellar in every way. Most exciting, however, is the ensemble of characters Malakhow provides for young actors to dive into, giving them a chance to tackle truly grounded, feeling people their own age. Highly recommend, especially if you're new to his work. It's a fantastic place to start.

Underneath the zany, hilarious kaleidoscope of furniture that is Manny's inner chaos, Marchant weaves a moving story of human connection and coping with trauma. Life may be an absurd ringer that our friends and family must navigate (one that our own actions can easily make worse), but finding those moments of satisfaction and common ground with one another can mean everything. There's a beautiful and romantic "we're all fucked up, but that's okay" poetry in this playground, and any producing team willing to take the dive will have no end of material to analyze. Such a fantastic fucking script.

In a world of man caves and "man" problems (food for poker night, small business ventures, my wife is cheating on me?), Weaver pulls a reverse historical Shakespeare and instructs us that his male characters are to be portrayed by an all-female cast.

This simple, effective choice would be remarkable to watch live. The discussions of these lived in characters attack & dissect stereotype, begging the question, "what are 'man' problems?" What are men? What are women? What are humans?

And what the fuck is "Cashmere Woods?"

Jones has a knack for creating characters and worlds that pulsate with a mad, wry poetry. It's infectious and captivating, and if you're unfamiliar with his work, "Hold Onto Your Hats" is a perfect place to start. A fun, dryly manic tale of writers swapping stories and relationships (as well as how much we really know the other people in them). Yes, we all go through lovesickness and loneliness, but not everyone responds how you might think. Sometimes red flags ARE red flags, baby.