Recommended by Hallie Palladino

I saw this play at Bechdel Fest 5. It was unsettling, mysterious and left just the right number of questions unanswered. And of course there's a twist.

This play is a heart-wrenching, fearless, scrupulously truthful portrayal of the crime of slavery and the many crimes of violence and evil compounded within it. Kokuma is a heroic young girl whose journey is riveting. This play is full of suspense. Edmund is not afraid to make his audience face descriptions of unthinkable violence. There are also moments of magic juxtaposed with these horrors. Kokuma is a brave, resourceful character any actress would love to play. Glad this is the first in a collection of plays because I care so much about Kokuma's family and I'm hungry to read more.

This is a touching coming of age story about family, identity and faith. The world Kelly creates is lovingly rendered and her characters are all lovable yet flawed, deeply self-aware to a point but unknowing in critical ways. And the magical elements serve heighten the play's emotional resonance. Bethany's agency in crafting her own future blossoms in surprising ways as the play progresses.

This play is clever, timely and full of insider humor that at once lovingly celebrates and mercilessly critiques geek culture and the on and off line discourse that influences the gatekeepers of trademarked superheroes. This play is a story about collective storytelling that exposes the stakes we all have in our desire to feel represented.

Principal Principle is a smart, funny and important story about the challenges facing public school teachers. The seasoned teachers in the room have Kay's number the moment she steps in the door. But the changes in Kay surprise even her. A play about the realities of educational policy in action and what happens when ideals collide with reality. Zarrow succeeds in making everyone feel implicated.

Girl Found is a suspenseful mystery that asks the question: what are the core elements that form a person's identity? A play about family, friendship and belonging that will haunt you long after you hear it.

I heard a reading of Koalas at the Something Marvelous Festival in one of its early incarnations and I was delighted and touched by the playwright's tender treatment of all these lovingly crafted characters. The play is a slow burn that sticks with you long after you hear it.

I was with Ren at the Ojai Playwrights Conference and I was so charmed by this play about three siblings looking out for one another. Ren really captures the ways we make meaning through caretaking and how deep our need to care for other goes, often at the expense our own aspirations. The siblings compete to sacrifice for each other with surprising results. This is a lovely coming of age story about family and loyalty.

I was with Will at Ojai Playwrights Conference 2017 and had the pleasure of hearing this play read twice. It is endearing and the world of the play so specifically realized. The character of Maiworm is instantly relatable because she is stuck in a situation where she is forced to do right by the city (progress) or do right by her friends. Evanston Salt Costs Climbing perfectly encapsulates the dilemmas of our current situation where environmental concerns (which have a human cost) and economic concerns (also with human cost) clash wrecking moral havoc. Will's crafting of comic dialogue is masterful.

Claustrophile is a quirky and surprising play that cleverly deconstructs staid tropes in American drama and manages to surprise at every turn. The characters are bizarre (in a good way) and the situations outrageously funny. But the more ridiculous the play gets the more profound it feels. This play is both smart and amusing.