Recommended by Nick Malakhow

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    A charming, endearing play for young audiences whose clever characters, wordplay, and anachronisms delight throughout. I enjoyed how it explored loss, family, and the weight of living up to and/or subverting your parents' expectations. It was easy to envision ideas for creative staging and design elements-I'd love to see this fully realized onstage! It'd be a great, unconventional TYA addition to any theater's season.

    A charming, endearing play for young audiences whose clever characters, wordplay, and anachronisms delight throughout. I enjoyed how it explored loss, family, and the weight of living up to and/or subverting your parents' expectations. It was easy to envision ideas for creative staging and design elements-I'd love to see this fully realized onstage! It'd be a great, unconventional TYA addition to any theater's season.

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    This was a delight to read with engaging characters and continually propulsive movement that took the play in new and exciting directions throughout. The premise of the hot tub meetup and Laura and Scott's "ex" connection is a perfect fodder for the humor that follows. Laura was a particularly unhinged, charming nucleus to the play!

    This was a delight to read with engaging characters and continually propulsive movement that took the play in new and exciting directions throughout. The premise of the hot tub meetup and Laura and Scott's "ex" connection is a perfect fodder for the humor that follows. Laura was a particularly unhinged, charming nucleus to the play!

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    This is a continually surprising, terrifying, and well-structured piece. I was perfectly content with the seismic dramedy of resentments between Ruth and Donna which were astutely observed and presented, but then Vince takes the play into even more exciting directions of horror, socio-political critique, and more. The structure lends itself to keeping the suspense up after the first startling reveal and each of the character trajectories is fascinating to witness. I'd love to see this onstage!

    This is a continually surprising, terrifying, and well-structured piece. I was perfectly content with the seismic dramedy of resentments between Ruth and Donna which were astutely observed and presented, but then Vince takes the play into even more exciting directions of horror, socio-political critique, and more. The structure lends itself to keeping the suspense up after the first startling reveal and each of the character trajectories is fascinating to witness. I'd love to see this onstage!

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    "Occupied" manages to be both a delicately written portrait of two friends and a startling and on point exploration of gun violence in the US and its subtle but palpable impact on everyday experiences and relationships. I loved the evolution of these two humans throughout the years, the examination of the educator experience in the USA, and the insight on how big socio-political truths affect seismic shifts in personal actions. The dialogue moved swiftly and naturally throughout.

    "Occupied" manages to be both a delicately written portrait of two friends and a startling and on point exploration of gun violence in the US and its subtle but palpable impact on everyday experiences and relationships. I loved the evolution of these two humans throughout the years, the examination of the educator experience in the USA, and the insight on how big socio-political truths affect seismic shifts in personal actions. The dialogue moved swiftly and naturally throughout.

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    This is an inventive, absurd, and darkly funny piece of political theater. The flexible identities of the characters are not gimmicky and, rather, allow for a producing company to put its individual stamp on the piece and make distinct commentaries within an established framework. The dialogue is sharp and the play continues to surprise the reader while furthering the story and amplifying the big, messy, complex thematic elements of government control, totalitarianism, and capitalism.

    This is an inventive, absurd, and darkly funny piece of political theater. The flexible identities of the characters are not gimmicky and, rather, allow for a producing company to put its individual stamp on the piece and make distinct commentaries within an established framework. The dialogue is sharp and the play continues to surprise the reader while furthering the story and amplifying the big, messy, complex thematic elements of government control, totalitarianism, and capitalism.

  • Nick Malakhow: Double Helix by Vince Gatton
    “

    A sticky, complex play with ambitious scope and centered around both a unique mystery and a pair of dynamic protagonists. I enjoyed the malleability of time/place and the way layers of information and philosophical underpinning were revealed as the present-day and past timelines unfolded. I particularly appreciated the way Wen and Den were impacted by major shocks in their formative years and how they each came to grapple with and try and make sense of questions about their pasts and futures.

    A sticky, complex play with ambitious scope and centered around both a unique mystery and a pair of dynamic protagonists. I enjoyed the malleability of time/place and the way layers of information and philosophical underpinning were revealed as the present-day and past timelines unfolded. I particularly appreciated the way Wen and Den were impacted by major shocks in their formative years and how they each came to grapple with and try and make sense of questions about their pasts and futures.

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: Chagutok by Vince Gatton
    “

    This was a consistently surprising and touching play that kept me gripped with its subtle but impactful twists and turns. I loved the multi-faceted exploration of loneliness and relationships and the intersection of those things with socio-political context and turmoil, and I also appreciated what the play said about cycles of injustice and change. The ending was sweet, poignant, and the characters were relateably human in circumstances that were infused with a delightful, subtle magic.

    This was a consistently surprising and touching play that kept me gripped with its subtle but impactful twists and turns. I loved the multi-faceted exploration of loneliness and relationships and the intersection of those things with socio-political context and turmoil, and I also appreciated what the play said about cycles of injustice and change. The ending was sweet, poignant, and the characters were relateably human in circumstances that were infused with a delightful, subtle magic.

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: Loverboy by Drew Paryzer
    “

    A moving and unique portrait of a mother and a son (whose relationship is interestingly illuminated through an AirBnB business venture!). The specificity and closeness and beauty and precarity of that relationship is illustrated here with scenes that feel at once organic and highly theatrical all at once. Additionally, the theatrical grand gesture of the final quarter of the piece is striking and impactful. I'd really love to see this fully realized onstage!

    A moving and unique portrait of a mother and a son (whose relationship is interestingly illuminated through an AirBnB business venture!). The specificity and closeness and beauty and precarity of that relationship is illustrated here with scenes that feel at once organic and highly theatrical all at once. Additionally, the theatrical grand gesture of the final quarter of the piece is striking and impactful. I'd really love to see this fully realized onstage!

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: free kids by Xavier Clark
    “

    A sweet, gentle, relatable coming of age story that treats all of its characters (adult and teen) with great respect and tenderness while not ignoring the ways their needs and wants make them mistreat each other. I love the humor throughout and how much is told through subtle looks and body language (particularly between Quentin Aziz and Tommy). The elements of dance and the specters that haunt Quentin Aziz add a nice theatricality to everything. I'd love to see this fully realized onstage!

    A sweet, gentle, relatable coming of age story that treats all of its characters (adult and teen) with great respect and tenderness while not ignoring the ways their needs and wants make them mistreat each other. I love the humor throughout and how much is told through subtle looks and body language (particularly between Quentin Aziz and Tommy). The elements of dance and the specters that haunt Quentin Aziz add a nice theatricality to everything. I'd love to see this fully realized onstage!

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: Flatbush Lysistrata by Lila Rachel Becker
    “

    I really loved how this piece captured and subverted the themes/story of Lysistrata, examining the patriarchy in a wholly different social, cultural, and religious context than the original text. All of the characters were deftly drawn and, in particular, I was amazed at how much of the wider social context of the Hasidic community was captured with just four bodies onstage. The piece moves briskly and kept me excited throughout to see all of the subtle yet seismic shifts in character/culture.

    I really loved how this piece captured and subverted the themes/story of Lysistrata, examining the patriarchy in a wholly different social, cultural, and religious context than the original text. All of the characters were deftly drawn and, in particular, I was amazed at how much of the wider social context of the Hasidic community was captured with just four bodies onstage. The piece moves briskly and kept me excited throughout to see all of the subtle yet seismic shifts in character/culture.

    ”