Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

There's nothing like an afternoon at the MoMA making fun of everything. Levine both evokes this spirit and the genuine multitude of profound, complex emotions art can evoke (for creator and viewer). He balances both wonderfully in this humorous short, while also throwing other variables like money necessities for dealers and how our age changes our perspective into the mix. A brilliant little piece that would surely be a hit any at short festival.

Each of McClain's triptychs is a treat, and Igniting provides us with a cavalcade of human emotions we don't like to encounter. It's a skillfully rendered and thought-provoking collection of short pieces, and the ashes they create stick around long after we take our eyes from the page. Lovely work.

We've all had that moment. That genuine, well-intentioned, but huge mistake that we only realize the ramifications of after the fact. Thankfully, Cross's victim here should be fine, and we all get to humorously learn the lesson of not using visual aids when it comes to teaching insects how to eat. Lovely little short.

A fantabulous, explosive, musical musing on the symbiotic relationship between artists and audience. Martin’s play scratches so many itches in a such a short amount of time, and will surely be a hit anywhere it is performed. Audience participation is something we often dread, but rest assured, thanks to Martin’s deft hands, we should definitely embrace it. Highly recommend.

Hot damn. A play that reminds us that despite our society’s more recent romanticization of the pirate’s life, it has a brutal side that definitely isn’t pretty, especially for the folks who find themselves unlucky enough to be thrust into it. Some embrace it to survive above everything, some embrace it for vengeance, still others for righteousness. Gill’s world-building is masterfully composed and frighteningly plausible, and it is a treat to see the gray of these swashbucklers as opposed to the normal songs about the sea being “freedom.” There’s more here. Check it out.

Should we discover the means, I would love nothing more than to condense this play into liquid form and inject it directly into my veins. Goldman-Sherman has crafted a mythic explosion that is enchanting and visually-striking, creepy and keening, rooted in survival and the stretch of the patriarchy even after the world’s end. The playground of a setting lifts inspiration from Beckett’s tramps, but blessedly gives women the spotlight for once, locked in a struggle for freedom and safety. A staggering piece of work that 100 words does not give me enough space to sing its brilliance. Highly recommend.

Yowza. If you think your family doesn’t communicate well, Levine provides a worst case scenario and guarantee you may not have it that bad. His dialogue pushes forward with a nigh absurd whimsicality that defies logic and just keeps getting better and better. Leah and Ethan may not be getting their point across, but good God, it’s hilarious to watch them try. Lovely short for any comedy festival.

What is justice? Who deserves grace? What do we do with evil and how do we recognize it? Kaminski thoughtfully pokes and prods at the endless questions (and perspectives) of capital punishment over the course of a single evening as a group of survivors await the impending execution of a serial killer. The play pulls no punches and strikes a reflective tone full of quiet, subdued tension as each individuals’ feelings come to light and morph as the time goes by. This is a delightful character study into which actors, directors, and audiences could take a deep dive.

I adore comedy grounded in "mostly realism." Something contemporary with the BIGGEST BALLS that, every so often, takes that quick left turn into complete absurdity with the utmost sincerity. It never fails to provide fun, raucous, pointed hilarity, and Cho provides it in spades. She also provides a scathing indictment of the entertainment industry for literally ruining society and warping our minds, wrapping everything in a story of what it really means to be an Asian-American woman in your 20s. This is a fantastic piece of theatre that you should know about.

First of all, a superhero whose powers depend entirely up to whether she's having a good day/week/month? Comedy gold. Second, the way Dickens’ artfully and subtly reveals her story’s hand is brilliant. A fun two-hander about loving your partner despite (even because of) their flaws, as well as the importance of accepting sadness’ role in life, it deserves your attention. Also, superheroes means designers get to have a field day too!