Recommended by David Hansen

This brief pieces captures the intense urgency of adolescence, making real those (for some of us) long-past but extremely crucial urges and dreams, those boundaries we set for ourselves, and those we yearn to overcome. It's charming and honest and funny, and I would love to see an entire evening of "in the coat closet" plays, including this one.

This adaptation removes the patina from a well-worn tale, making it shine for a new age. Too often the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge is interpreted as one of redemption, but Sullivan's take makes entertainingly apparent Dickens's harsh indictment of the class inequality of his time, showing exactly how far we have not come. A workers' Christmas story for the 21st century, its unapologetically socialist message is delightfully rendered with humor and song. Strongly recommended ... for the holidays!

This delightful, brief, historical-comical-tragical cabaret piece belongs in an upbeat, electric evening of musical vignettes about transgender history. It's simple, straight-forward and accurate, but also presentational and smartly absurd. Viva Romy! Viva Bowie!

Performed the role "1590" in a production of this work twenty years ago this summer (ye gods) and for better or worse, this script is as relevant, biting, and hysterical as ever. A fascinating exploration of a little-known historical figure, "Theodora" is an evocative primer on history, who owns it, and what they do with it. Strongly recommended.

"Gruoch" is at once playful and deadly serious, an examination of the hidden forces which shape our ends. A small company tells the story of Lady Macbeth from a historical perspective, as well as from Shakespeare's, in an intriguing non-stop festival of words and action, with shockingly contemporary relevance.

Sweet, poignant, pointed and hilarious!

Intriguing, sweet, and psychologically correct. An ideal two-hander for *actual* teenagers (or those who can play them) one which hits the sweet-spot between teen angst and burgeoning maturity. Strongly recommended and entirely appropriate for high school actors and audiences.

This Gross/Young adaptation is drop-dead hilarious, maintaining and metastasizing the humor of Molière's original with contemporary flair and incisive commentary on today's health care conundrum. Also, the songs are really enjoyable.

"Swimming" is a lovely, lyric dance of dialogue between two teens in a shelter for LGBT youth. Rodriguez employs performance poetry to move the story forward, not merely as commentary on the action, but to take emotional leaps forward in the relationship between these two young men.

Bublitz's biographical piece on the WWII experiences of Nancy Wake, member of French Resistance, is brisk and exciting. Told in brief episodes, our heroine handles many dangerous situations with confidence and determination. The play has many characters, but Bublitz has written it so that it can be performed by as few as six performers. It would make for excellent high school productions; thrilling and with strong historical context. The feminist angle is important, too.