Recommended by Greg Burdick

Weingarten shows us the perils college kids face while hooking up... when both parties have wildly different expectations of the outcome. Fantastic use of direct address when Jackie and Alaska finally get down to business... we're in their heads, but they're not in each other's. An important lesson to the rest of us if we want the fairytale ending in our own lives.

Many times during "Ripe Frenzy," it feels like Jennifer Barclay is eerily channeling Thornton Wilder. Her reimagining of his most famous play to explore the troubling trend of mass shootings is nothing short of genius. Near the play's end, we're faced with the same feeling of dread we had for Emily when we first read Act III of "Our Town," but this time, it is prompted by Zoe... who must come to terms with her son's desperate choice, and her own self-doubt and guilt. Grovers Corners is Anywhere USA. Sadly, nowadays... the same could be said for Tavistown. Outstanding work.

Miki Kim creates stunningly beautiful word pictures in "After the Fall." I found myself re-reading some of her characters' more vivid speeches over and over, savoring their poetic elegance. An important play about regret, responsibility, self-worth, identity, dreams deferred and realized and lost. Wonderful juxtaposition of personalities, cultures, and generations. Thoroughly enjoyed.... a masterful piece of writing.

After spending a night in Tucumcari during a family summer roadtrip out west, it was easy for me to understand the wanderlust yearnings of Beez and Bets. Getting out. Breaking free. Unsticking from the past. And while the motivations for their cross-country trek are wildly different from eachother's, the two find common ground. Gritty, yet sensual, the ending features a wonderful callback that is a perfect blackout cue. Well done.

The four women in this play are, from the first page, instantly lovable. From Dorothy's outrageous malapropisms, to Jean's nightclub-worthy one-liners, Zaffarano gives us luminous characters who must come to grips with many dark things buried in their family's past. She treats heavy themes with a light, comic touch. Just like the play's namesake drink, it's sweet, yet packs a surprising punch.

Something is rotten in the state of One Way Yoga... and it's not only its clients' bodily functions. This comedy deftly taps into the serious social issues of sexual misconduct and racism, and examines their implications in the corporate world. Such subject matter could easily come across heavy-handed, but it never does in this story. Like any skilled yoga instructor, Copeland makes it look easy.

The level of weaponry and dueling knowledge Zettelmaier displays in this piece is staggeringly impressive. What's more, his story is packed solid with thoughtful pieces of wisdom as Martine works to overcome life-changing trauma, and restore her balance. The guidance she seeks from abrasive (abusive?) trainer Declan, and multiple fantasy conversations with her heroes, lead her to the play's unsettling conclusion. Masterful. A dream piece for fight choreographers, and fearless actors ready to duel. Bravo.

From the very first few moments of this play, desperation washes over us, and we are swept away from our day to day trifles into the darkly tragic world of these characters. Yet, what begins as a dramatic history lesson steadily and cleverly morphs into a comedic political commentary. Reisman shows us an America, once a great creator of things, that is fast becoming "more empty... less and less..."
Her descriptions of the debris pile, and its perpetual transformation, serve the story well. Particularly liked the ease with which she time shifts, and presages the future near the end.

Elevator Girl's arrival, amidst the string of Marvel/DC blockbuster films and shows dominating our movie theaters and living room binge-fests, is perfectly timed. Hoke's story provokes important discussions we should all be having about consent, and the consequences when it is ignored. She has constructed a giant sandbox for graphic artists, costume, sound, scenic and lighting designers to play in. With just three characters it's small in scale... but certainly packs a wallop.

Each twist and turn of this well crafted play builds delicious suspense and raises tension until reaching its conclusion... and even then- we're left with the sobering reminder that, sometimes, what we don't know can't hurt us. Or, at the very least, not as much. Fast-paced dialogue, and a wonderful character study.