Recommended by Greg Burdick

Entitlement. It’s a theme dripping from the pages of Cote’s thoughtful play about the social cost of political correctness. At first glance, it might seem over the top in its wild depictions of the students’ demands. Yet, speaking as an educator, be assured that the opening expertly captures the current climate of walking on eggshells to prevent any offense. And while it may hurt the feelings of some millennial members of the audience, sorry kids... Cote is rightfully entitled.

“Ever feel as though your life’s a one panel cartoon?” In this case, it’s a series of twenty-one, depicting the plight of Beckett’s beloved clowns, in a nightmarish-yet-hilarious Groundhog’s Day scenario. Halliday leaps at every chance to satirize, and doesn’t disappoint in the final frame. Simply brilliant.

Classic mythological titans deliver a contemporary social commentary in this incredibly thoughtful take on Medusa’s origin story. Poynton explores the complexities of power dynamics in relationships, themes of jealousy and unrequited love, manipulation, and exploitation. But best of all, the Greeks would have marveled at her uncanny ability to evoke pathos for the often-maligned gorgon... beautiful and sad, all at once. Stunningly good.

Cassandra Rose gives us a peek behind the curtain of a rock legend, in an imagined, post-concert encounter Freddie has with an up and coming journalist. She expertly captures Mercury's bravado, theatricality, and yet beautifully preserves his humanity at a period of time when he was most fragile. The play illuminates the power celebrities posess in effecting social change beyond their art form. And, after reading, I spent a long time with a heavy heart, imagining what contemporary music might sound like today if Freddie were still with us. If only. Fantastic work.

Cassandra Rose paints a grisly picture in "Covet." From its opening page, we know we're in for something unusual. A delicious challenge for technical effects artists, as well as the actress who gets to inhabit Tabitha. Definitely not for the weak-hearted... without a doubt, the love child of Quentin Tarantino and Betty Crocker. Gripping work.

What begins quite innocuous turns downright insidious in Hansen's short play. Much like the products of the protagonist's Google search, his past with the woman in question is permanently etched... no delete key, edit, or "save as" can undo what has been done. And darker still is the image of the two main characters deeply engaged in their own screens, instead of each other's lives... making the likelihood of true connection in the modern world seem less and less certain. Unsettling, dark, messy... three reasons why you should produce it now.

Keenan-Zelt urges the future producers of this play to "forget everything you know about gods." She has given us a stunning glimpse into their world... and it should come as no surprise that it's no easier than our own. Particularly for two gods, who govern life and death, and their daughter, who must choose between one side or the other. Exquisite imagery leaps off of every page... truly, a designer's dream project. Demeter's description of human ambrosia (Hershey's chocolate,) will never allow you to think of it the same way again. Ye gods! An incredible piece of work.

As a kid, one of my first part time jobs was working as a bicycle mechanic. Fixing a chain is messy. It's gritty. And most times, it isn't easy. Wyndham uses this as the perfect metaphor for Kyle's unfortunate situation. If he has any hope of moving forward, he's got to deal with the mess first. But he can't do it alone. Both Kyle, and his Uncle Arnie are broken, yet with the simple gesture of a belated birthday gift, coupled with a heart-felt display of remorse for past transgressions, the two manage to get wheels turning once again. Touching.

Farce, widely considered "low comedy," is often just a brain candy guilty pleasure. Yet, Zaffarano elevates it to artistic heights in this ill-fated one act romantic comedy. She deftly examines the wide spectrum of male and female perspectives on marriage... particularly a modern woman's motivation for delaying it, or chasing it with desperation; and the modern man's burden of making a proposal social-media-worthy, or safely navigating a breakup before expectations grow too great. And, while all farces end happily, the ending of this one does so... but definitely breaks the mold. Say yes to this one.

In "Truth/Dare," Tori Keenan-Zelt draws us back to middle school... that awful, awkward time....when we didn't know who we were, didn't know how to think for ourselves, and when we relied on others close to us in an effort to figure it all out. She cleverly begins the play with an urban legend, which frames the girls' search for truth in their own lives; illustrating how the details of a tragic incident in their past can be processed/internalized/reconciled differently, as the story of the event takes on a life of its own. Powerful. Truthful. Daring.