Recommended by Shaun Leisher

This play is about two brothers who felt they lived very different lives. Two brothers that believed they had different relationships with their father. Two brothers who both ran away from home in their own ways. Two brothers who realize they are not as different as they believe they are. This play belongs in the same conversation as Shepard's True West when it comes to tales of estranged brothers. This is a play that is really needed right now. This is how trans stories should be told on our stages.

I loved how complex the Deaf character is written here. She isn't weak or in need of a savior. She is a level-headed person who knows exactly what she wants and how she wants to be treated. I found it very effective when Ford stops signing and forces Willow to read his lips. He takes a stand in that moment and hopes that she will be on his side when it comes to the cochlear implant. I was really moved by how the "Voices" interact with the other characters. A great role for a Deaf actress.

A touching look at a stage in life that just doesn't get portrayed on our stages. This piece is almost entirely a monologue as a wife talks to her husband who has recently had a stroke. June really opens up to August about the journey she has been on as his wife. She explores the different roles she has had to take on as a woman. This play has some real surprises. This is a great piece for two older actors. Though he doesn't speak much the actor playing August has a real challenge with this play.

A short play that explores hot button issues like belonging to one's culture and social media in such few pages. Estranged sisters Junyu and Mazie want so badly to connect with each other but the nearly two decade age difference makes that hard. Add Junyu's stepmother (who is only fifteen years older than her) who wants to be a good mom and you have a scene full of missteps and humorous moments. I was fascinated by how badly Mazie wants to be American and how badly Junyu wants to keep herself rooted in her Chinese identity.

A brilliant ensemble piece about a group of women that don't get portrayed much on modern stages. A period piece about "fallen women" who are just trying to survive their punishments that have been put upon them. I loved seeing how much these women adore and support each other. They will do anything to help each other. Thought this play takes place over a century ago, the struggles these women face don't feel very different than what they face today. This is a brilliant period piece that I'd love to see produced someday.

This play is a real mind-fuck. It's also very sexy. Martin does a great job at writing longing. There is so much going on between these two characters. There are feelings of anger, resentment, curiosity. lust and (like I mentioned above) lots and lots of longing. I loved how this book explores the ethics behind creating a work of art based on true events. What responsibility does a writer have to the person they are writing about? I loved how this play explores the spectrum of queerness. This play has amazing roles for actresses.

A brilliant and fresh new take on Greek tragedy. I loved how Boyd is able to look at toxic masculinity, trans identity and TERF ideology in such a fascinating and at time humorous way. This is a play for companies that want honor the classics but also do so in a unique and vital way. This play could not be more relevant. At a time when so much legislation is being passed to limit the rights of trans people, we need work like this that puts their experience from and center and in a way that honors their humanity.

I really loved this play. A fantastic two-hander where the same two actors play characters from different countries of origin. From different periods of time. A play about how relationships can be preserved or decay like a deceased body. A play about gay men trying to love and just live their lives. I loved the choice to make one of the characters older than the other. I loved the power dynamics that holds. I'd love to see what a skilled scenic and costume designer can do with this piece. A feast of actors.

This is a play that tells the story of people that we just don't see enough on our stages. The main character, Jeanine, is over 50 years old, Neurodivergent and Disabled. I loved that she is a full person who loves, fucks and shows how she cares through her art. She also hurts people close to her. The rest of the cast is at wits end but they still support her in their ways. This is a play about working class people that are faced with tragedy and must do what they can to heal. More stories like this please.

This play is pure insanity in the best ways possible. Great roles for trans actors that isn't all about them being trans. No trauma to deal with. No coming out stories to tell. Just a play about a community of people that hurt and support each other. I loved how this play feels like it has its own language. I feel like this play would be awesome in an unconventional playing space. The lack of setting makes things go quickly and keeps us focused on the chaotic lives of these people.