Recommended by Shaun Leisher

I have this play to be such an original take on the issue of sexual abuse. We don't often get to see what happens after victims receive closure and the complicated feelings that arise. This is a really great ensemble piece. I thought these characters were written with so much care and depth. I was hooked from the start knowing that things were going to go wrong during this trip but not knowing exactly how. The ending really packed a punch. This play will be cathartic for so many people.

This short play could not be more relevant today. Iran is everywhere on the news and yet so few people really know about the struggles of the average Iranian. This is an immigrant story about someone who badly wants to come to America to study and make an impact. So much of this play is the two characters preparing for an upcoming meeting to get a visa but in the subtext it's a love story. It's a story about what immigrants must sacrifice. What they must leave behind. This is such rich material for two Iranian actors.

I really enjoyed this play. A biting satire about how hard motherhood can be. These characters start at first as clever archetypes but soon we get to see just how layered they are. This play felt pretty straightforward at first but I loved how absurd and grotesque it got by the end. I definitely ended this play rooting for New Mom as she leaned into her new role as caregiver. The props and effects departments will have an absolute blast making this play a reality.

This was a really fun short play. I loved how the playwright explores both modern dating and internet culture. I cringed in recognition whenever Googler listed all the things they were searching. Such a unique way to look at how the internet impacts how we make friends and connect with the world in general. I loved how earnest and literal this play could be. This would be such a fun piece for a scene study class or a short play festival.

A funny short play about what it's like when people you thought you knew grow and evolve. I love the use of setting in this play. Diamond does a great job of painting the picture of this lake and the dock these women are gathered on. I loved the way time passes in this play. The lighting getting darker seems to directly impact the emotions of these characters. What happens when people outgrow each other? Diamond wonderfully tackles that question in this short play.

A wonderful sequel to Benitez's play, Dike. I loved getting to spend more time with these characters. I loved seeing how much they have grown as humans. I deeply felt for Kristen as they never gave up the search for their sister. I thought Rachel is really well-written in this play. She is put in the lead role in this play as we witness her struggles with her faith. She wants so badly to do the right thing at all times, even when her thinking isn't clear. I love that their is a part 3 coming.

A visceral and moving play about giving in to our heart's desires even when they conflict with what they have been taught. Having grown up in the Church myself, I understood the reluctance and fear that Rachel has around anything connected to sexuality. I loved how this play portrays a healthy lesbian relationship. That doesn't mean that the relationship isn't messy or not full of missteps. In fact, it's because of these facts that the relationship is healthy. I long for more plays that explore sexuality and faith with this much care and nuance.

A really interesting look at a subculture that I was completely unfamiliar with. Carr brilliantly takes us into this world of raising calves to explore the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl. Loved getting to know all these characters and understanding why they take part in this life. This is a play about finding community, wanting more out of life and the power of female friendship. Having the girls play each other's calves is such an interesting choice. I'd love to see this physicality of this play brought to life in a full production.

I really loved this play. A wonderful ensemble piece with eight complicated female characters. The stories of most of these women were unknown to me before reading this play. I am so glad Feldman took on this project. The contributions and achievements of these women to the world of space travel should no longer be ignored. I admire Feldman's imagination so much as they craft scenes where all these women from different eras come together. This play is just so fantastic and I hope it has a long life on stages all over.

I was skeptical at first seeing how many characters there were for this short play. Would we have enough time as the reader to connect with each of them? That skepticism was quickly disproven. Scharold does a great job at throwing us right into the action (or lack of action) in this play. This play is about a family that struggles to be honest with each other until it all just bubbles over. The use of the weather as a plot device is a great way to expose the tension and resentment among these characters.