Recommended by Nick Malakhow

This is an emotionally affecting and potent story of three generations of women confronting mortality, grief, and the open wounds of family trauma. While the specters of suicide and mental illness hang over them, Carnes mines appropriately used and much-needed humor from the unique humanity of each of her characters. Emma, Mary, and Kate are all compelling and fully realized characters who, by the end of the piece, come to understand what's behind some of their central tensions with one another. The ending is satisfying, heartbreaking, and hopeful. I hope to see this developed and produced soon!

An absolutely beautiful play whose contemplative tone is underscored so well by the use of cello and the wintry Chicago atmosphere! Gabriela is a compelling central character, and I am with her at every step of her journey. All of the other characters are also incredibly well-fleshed out, humanly flawed, and painted with a sense of humor. Walker manages to get us to feel for each character, warts and all. The theatricality brought on by the use of music and dreams makes me desperately want to see this piece on its feet!

A gloriously theatrical exploration of identity, family, and self-actualization using the world of superheroes and comic books. Barbot's piece also discusses cultural appropriation, legacy, and moving on from familial grief in a poignant and hilarious fashion. I hope to see a full production of this piece sometime soon--in addition to having meaty roles, it seems like a director's and designer's dream.

In this play, we are presented with a very compelling set of characters who clash in powerful and nuanced ways. This is a very astute examination of the root of dichotomous and polarized arguments between people who exist at different poles with regards to identity, beliefs, and values. Rather than making one side the villain, Kearns so smartly rejects the easy demonizing of the rural/conservative viewpoint in favor of a more subtle discussion of the catalysts and agitating forces behind so many battles at the personal and political levels. I hope to see this produced soon!

Beautiful and profound in its simplicity--Chinn crafts a supremely theatrical exploration of appropriation, appreciation, and xenophobia. Everything about this piece is impeccably structured and intentional from the pacing of scenes to the use of doubling to the selection of these three specific moments and places in time. I'd love to see this staged!

Terrifying, sharp, and real! This piece is so fantastically engrossing and fast-moving that I finished it in one very short sitting. Bentley-Quinn explores toxic masculinity and incel "culture" in an insightful and straightforward manner. Absurd (but all too real) satire, meta-theatricality, and an awesome use of choral dialogue punctuate tough to read yet darkly funny scenes of pointed naturalism. I'd love to see this highly theatrical play be produced frequently and hope it has a long life--it needs to be in the air in this socio-political environment.

Xtina presents here a wholly unique and totally mindblowing theatrical world. Christine's and Aimee's simultaneous journeys provide a rich exploration of coming of age, and the physically and mentally alienating experience of adolescence. Hyper real and astutely observed scenes are intermingled with grand, lyrical, bizarre, and downright fantastical images and moments. I'd be so curious to see this realized onstage and hope I get the chance to some day!

Set at a meditative and intentional pace, this haunting scene is a ten-minute theatrical poem that is an exquisite example of showing vs. telling. It addresses generational and inherited trauma and, while being specifically grounded in such a potent and well-known historical context, resonates as a universal commentary on the main issues it's concerned with. There's certainly a reason it's been produced several times, and I hope I have the opportunity to see it someday!

Carnes has assembled an exceedingly original and wholly compelling group of characters! At first, we wonder how this eclectic milieu is connected and why they're gathering in this odd outpost run by a hilariously offbeat pair. We are fully engrossed in the world by the time we realize exactly what/who brought them to this place. A huge, hilarious, poetic, and theatrical farce that serves as a unique parable about grief. "Malheur" wraps you up in its world from beginning to end. I'd love to see these characters live and on their feet!

I read this all in one sitting and felt like I was both laughing and holding my breath the entire time. In this powerful two-hander, Specht provides one of the some of the most compelling renderings of depression and suicidal thoughts that I've read. Chelsea and Alex are complex characters drawn with extraordinarily nuanced brush strokes. The dialogue is both spare and full of so much subtextual information, and this is a gorgeous example of an impeccably structured two-character piece. It moved me to tears, while the characters themselves avoided maudlin sentiment. Highly theatrical and profound! Produce it!