Recommended by Shaun Leisher

Gonzalez does a wonderful of crafting a scenario that feels so everyday but turns into a moment between two people that is pure magic. I loved getting to listen in to the conversation these two characters have. A piece that shows us an honest depiction of what it's like to so badly want to slay our addictions. I was on the ride of this piece from the start and was moved by each moment of connection that was crafted here. Would love to see this produced.

I loved how weird this play got. A short play about making the needed sacrifices for the welfare of others. This play explores what it really means to be an ally. A character is asked to go beyond the tweets, text and phone calls and back up their talk about injustice and create real change. I really loved this short play and was very moved by the end. Please produce this piece. This play has a message we really need to hear now.

A moving short play about what it means to long for a home that may never be perfect. Uuka wishes badly to return to South Africa now that Mandela is in leadership. Thandiwe see her family's future in America. They are given a unique opportunity to make one of their dreams come true. This is a play about being a foreigner and about the decisions a woman is able to make for her own body. Would love to see this produced.

A wonderful short play that feels very relevant to our current times. A short play that explores the different methods to spark revolution. Stray and Fancy use their bodies in very different ways to fight oppression. Burbano brilliantly uses the short play form and the sci-fi genre to discuss what bodily autonomy can look like in very dark days. Would love to see this fully produced with skilled actresses.

Though I only lived in Philadelphia for a short period of time, I feel like I know these people. This is a play about the working class. A play about people just trying to get by. A play about people trying to get their fair share from a system that seems to be made only to fuck them over. McCloskey makes it easy to root for these characters as you hope for their lives to turn around. This play needs to get produced all over the place. This play definitely needs to get produced in Philly.

I really loved this play. It looks at a part of history that does not get talked about enough. A play that also couldn't be more relevant to our current times as we teeter on the brink of fascism in the USA. I really admired how well-written these characters are. They are so layered and, no matter what side they are on, no one in this play is a hero or villain. This is a play about striving for hope when doing so can be dangerous. Great roles for Latinx actors. Loved the ending.

This play is a hysterical satire that skewers things like bureaucracy and the desires of certain human beings to give up their humanity instead of actually trying to make meaningful change. Dalia, Bernardo and Juan are three complex characters that make choices they think are best for survival and they all meet their fates doing what they believe to be what is best. I really loved this play and would love to see it produced. I'd especially love to see what a costume designer can do with here.

An absolutely terrifying horror play that also feels like an honest depiction of neurotypical people. A play that shows how mental illness impacts women in very different ways. A play about trauma and the harm that can be perpetuated by the people we love. I was really amazed by this play. It goes to some really wild places. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I need to see this play produced. It's an absolute feast for actors, directors and creative teams. Lots of stage magic.

Sarah Galante is a vital voice in modern-day theatre. This is a play that needs to be seen all over. It's a play about being comfortable in one's body no matter what the size. This play is filled with so much complexity and nuance. Characters make mistakes but we are made to understand why make them, right or wrong. This is play with killer roles for fat and trans actors. I can't wait to see what the future of this play will be. This is going to create some much needed dialogue.

This play could not be more relevant today. We are currently living in a time that is hellbent on erasing any part of American history that paints Americans in a negative light. The ways Native Americans were massacred by Americans is a shameful part of our history but one that needs to be remembered. It needs to be remembered especially now as our government continues to be complicit in acts of genocide and colonization. This is a brilliant play with fantastic roles for Indigenous actors.