Recommended by Greg Burdick

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.

This play is daring. From its outset, Alex and Anya challenge you with their eccentricities, but Roblan's sense of dialogue and character make them so disarming, you can't help but immediately root for them as they struggle to connect with one another. We see quite clearly that there is indeed someone for everyone, but love and acceptance are never automatic. Powerful imagery. High theatricality. Fearless honesty.

A wonderfully paced comedy celebrating the growing pains of the creative process and relationships, in "The Playmakers," Lisa and Sebastian show us that both can be tough roads to hoe. Zaffarano's dialogue and characters remind us that men are from Mars, women are from Venus, and it's a miracle when we can manage to come together... but thank goodness we always somehow find a way. Sebastian's bank heist jokes are worth the price of admission. A fun read, would be loads of fun to stage.

What Yasmina Reza did for friendship and art, Diaz-Marcano is doing for friendship and politics. The play feels urgently relevant as he tackles racism, bigotry, feminism, and machismo. It's not a white canvas that drives a wedge, but rather an impending election that is the catalyst for the disintegration of a small circle of friends. And their inability to settle on a simple decision like what to have for dinner underscores the great divide in our country's political landscape. Memorable characters, and fun dialogue. Carlos' speech about why he hates the number 3 might be the best in the play.

A wickedly twisted love letter to the theatre in all its shameless quirkiness and artifice. If you've ever been in a play, you'll recognize all four of these personalities immediately. Albee himself might well have grinned at the cleverness of this story... Kaplan pays deep homage, and raises significant social questions worth discussing.