Recommended by Shaun Leisher

I loved this short play!!! It perfectly captures that stressful feeling of being lost post-graduation. Noe and Yeji feel different now that they are in Brooklyn but the same insecurities they've had since childhood seem to creep right back in. Loved the addition of David Byrne. Such an interesting cultural figure and he perfectly serves the purpose of sharing wisdom with Yeji while also saying nothing in Noe's eyes. Having this play set in the 90s at the Mermaid Parade is brilliant. So many cool opportunities for creative costume designe.

This play is the best kind of sci-fitheatre. A play that feels slightly foreign and futuristic but with themes that feel so urgent and current. At its heart, this is a play about two sisters that deeply love each other but one is stuck on earth and one has ambitions that take her to space. I found this play really moving and the ending in particular really hit home. Kantor does a good job at introducing sci-fi elements of the piece without overloading us with exposition. She keeps it focused on what is most important.

A play about three different people that relate to each other by a shared passion for pottery. I love plays like this that are about the process of creating art. Weissman does a great job at capturing the frustrations of the early attempts as well as the utter elation when something beautiful is created. I loved how I was left unsure of what was real or not in this play. I really enjoyed witnessing how much Maya grows throughout this play as both an artist and person. I'd love to see this play produced in an actual art studio.

A play about friends growing together and falling in and out of love. It was so great to read a play about Black people that is not only about racial trauma. This is the kind of play white actors always get to perform and it's just seen as a neutral story. More plays like this please. I loved how time works in this play. How we move from adulthood and childhood so fluidly. I loved how this play has a complicated non-binary character. I loved how this play tackles substance abuse and sobriety with such nuance.

An adaptation of The Seagull that might be shorter in run time than the original but does not lack in emotional heft. Jadhwani does a great job at trimming the fat in this play to create an extremely accessible version of Chekhov's classic. There's definitely not anything that I missed from this take. I don't even know if I remember what was cut. This play would be great for colleges and young theatre companies that are eager to tackle Chekhov in an extremely accessible way. I loved the direct address.

An exploration into what goes on in the mind of a model in the world of kink. I appreciated how this piece doesn't play into the tropes of the abused woman who takes back her agency through this work. The reason she gets into this is much more nuanced and innocent. This play explores concepts like agency and what it's like to be watched by strangers. I loved the stream of consciousness that flows from the mind of this model. I loved how in control she is the whole time. Great piece for an actor looking for a monologue.

This play is a real mindfuck. I can read it ten more times and I will still find myself with a seemingly endless number of questions. Only staging it with actors and designers will begin to unravel the mysteries of this short play. I was fascinated by the blending of music and mathematics. I was so curious about who Amber is. This play would be so fun to stage. Sound designers would have a blast with this piece. I appreciated the lack of stage directions. This piece is open to so many interpretations.

The title of this short play hits on so many different levels. Kantor wonderfully captures the complexities of being adolescent girls in a very unique way. I also connected with what it's like to be a young person indoctrinated by religion and knowing absolutely nothing about your body. These characters are so distinct and well-written. Rosemary isn't there to corrupt Mary Rose. She just knows more about herself and has a desire to educate. This play is hilarious and would be perfect for scene study or a short play festival.

You think this play is going in one direction and then it really shocks you. Kantor brilliantly tackles such a taboo subject with characters that I found myself connecting with. This is such a tender and romantic short play. I'd love to know what happens next for these characters but Kantor concludes this piece in a really satisfying way. A great example of lulling your audience into a seemingly mundane situation and then pulling the rug out from under them. This would be such a fun play to direct.

This is a play about the people who are credited for the great discoveries of history. More importantly, it's a play about those that are forgotten. Jeanne Baret was certainly a new name to me and I am glad that a play like this exists to commemorate her. I loved the use of the Askers to show how little we know about Baret. I love that this is a play the pushes for racial and gender diversity in the cast. This is a love story and an adventure story that will definitely appeal to all audiences. PRODUCE THIS PLAY!!!