Recommended by Shaun Leisher

Plays about death and grief are not new but I'm glad for plays like this that find refreshing ways to explore these topics. Santos has done a great job crafting a cast of characters you can really relate to. Characters that are struggling to connect with each other after a traumatic event. Characters that are in the business of dealing with others tragic events but don't know how to process their own. This play features amazing roles for Latine and queer actors and I can see it being a very popular piece all over.

This took me back to nights during lockdown with my mom watching Hallmark Christmas movies on repeat. Yes they were pretty awful but I always admired how adamantly they stuck to the formula. Hoogenraad does a great job playing with that formula with her hilarious play. I loved all the little details I've come to expect from these films, especially the car product placement and all the hugging. This was such a fun play to read and I hope it finds its way to becoming a holiday tradition in communities all over.

A play about the complexity about asexuality that is a welcome addition to the canon of romantic comedies. Barclay does a great job explaining asexuality and the resources out there for them without being overly didactic. These characters feel real. They are complicated and messy and they tend to hurt the people they really care about. I loved the absurd antics that these characters get themselves into and I found the dialogue very witty. That ending is incredible and I hope to see it fully realized. PRODUCE THIS PLAY!!!

People that identify asexual or aromantic deserve to be portrayed in theatre with nuance and dignity. Stewart does just that with this play. Lane is not interested in sex but loves being romantic. Robbie hates romances but loves sex. They both know this about themselves and have accepted it. Their partners claim they have as well but they struggle. These two make form a moving relationship in this play as they both deeply understand each other's struggles. I hope this play gets produced everywhere. We need to talk about this.

A very funny one-act that would give actors a great opportunity to practice some physical comedy. I loved the premise so much. What would you do if the childhood celebrity crush you were about to have sex ended up dead on your toilet? This play answers that question with some truly absurd antics. Yes this is a wild and off the rails play but I also felt the characters felt like real human beings. What could have easily become a one-joke SNL style sketch became a really interesting journey. Would love to see actors do this play.

This was a delightful short comedy that wonderfully puts on display the icky complexity of modern dating. I love that Jolie is bi and it's not even really commented on. It just is. Please produce plays about LGBTQIA people that's not just about them coming out or dealing with homophobia. The dialogue is so funny and I loved where these two ended up on the last page. Dating on the apps is weird as fuck and I'm glad folx like Diaz are writing about it. The direct address is definitely not new but it was really effective here.

I really enjoyed how intimate this play was as it explores something so common. Ellie is such an interesting character and I really enjoyed getting to know her through two pivotal times in her life. While I am a dude, I did feel like I could connect with Ellie. I remember what it was like to so badly want to impress the older kids and I definitely remember the insecurity of going to college with little love experience. This would be a great piece for colleges and a great way to start conversation around the pains of growing up.

Having spent many years in the service industry, I appreciate plays that take a harsh look at the toxic nature of it and represents the unique family that is formed in it. Loved that this was set the night of Hurricane Sandy when so many longed for connection. Loved that asexuality is explored with such nuance. Yes people look down on and give bad advise to Michael but he stays true to who he is. I loved the acceptance that Savannah has for him when he opens up. We need more plays like this that explore all forms of queerness.

When the stage manager came out at the beginning I thought it was a quirky choice and then I found myself comforted by the domestic drama that came after. I should know by now that nothing in an Amir-Gabriel Gad play is what it seems. This is a wonderfully gory piece of body horror that I really hope I get to see staged one day. Gad does a great job at getting us invested in the lives of these three roommates and then creating something deeply twisted. I'd love to see what adventurous designer would do with this piece.

I feel like breakups are a common theme for plays but I don't think I've read a play that looks at it like this one does. What happens when you breakup with someone and you have to face all your conflicting emotions about the situation? Gad answers that question here in a very exciting way. I loved how distinct and original each version of Andrea was while still clearly all being facets of the same person. I want to see what a actors, designers and a director can do with this. Very excited to follow the development of this piece.