Recommended by Nick Malakhow

What a wonderfully rendered exploration of gentrification and found family populated with dynamic and complex characters. I was most impressed by the nuanced and intersectionally rich cast that allowed for multi-layered conversations about privilege and identity. Ortiz also beautifully balanced comedy with drama, realism with some sublime and meta theatrical poetry. MinorityLand could be produced in any number of cities and speak to gentrification in an immediate and palpable way. I'd love to see this on its feet!

A superb, theatrical delight. Incorporating fantasy, ritual, black comedy, and incisive social critique, Christopher explores conversion therapy, homophobia, and misogyny in ways I've never seen it explored before. Perhaps most impressive is the way that this piece doesn't sacrifice nuance, intriguing relationships, and complex characters for style, despite the extremely heightened world these people are inhabiting. It would be a thrill to see this staged live!

A fast-paced roller coaster ride of a piece that uses exquisitely theatrical magic and compelling narration to explore mental health, trauma, teen relationships, and the puzzling and eternal questions asking us what are young people supposed to do with the anger and emotional weights that saddle them as they come of age and forge identities for themselves? I'm eager to see how this piece develops and hope to see its unique stage magic and narrative techniques come alive on its feet someday soon!

A tender and beautifully-realized play! Not only does "Can I Hold You?" capture an experience and voices truly not yet represented by the contemporary theater, but it takes that perspective and utilizes it to explore intimacy, friendship, and sexuality in a universal manner. Like the best "small stories," this play's specificity is its strength and the reason behind its universality. Barclay's characters speak with warmth and humor while navigating potent and complex conflicts. I hope to see this piece get developed and produced!

A thoroughly engrossing piece! Like all great science fiction, it tackles head on contemporary issues--here we are treated to a fascinating exploration of citizenship, immigration, nationalism, remnants of colonialism, and prejudice. The characters are nuanced and recognizable, and the world building natural and fully realized. Lam's clever sense of humor brings welcome moments of levity to some gutting truths and intense conversations about difference and intolerance that our contemporary world must reconcile ourselves with.

An absolutely extraordinary piece. Impeccably paced and structured, while somehow feeling organic and free flowing all at the same time. Has the kind of soul bearing storytelling quality of a perfect solo show, but obviously it is something else entirely. The most vivid and powerfully depicted example of the effects of trauma on an individual that I've read in a long time or quite possibly ever. Wrenching but far from "excessive"--every detail shared is carefully chosen and profoundly articulated.

An inventive, briskly moving, and darkly funny look at intergenerational relationships between female family members. The way each central character's media-related antagonist trails them helps physicalize in a gloriously theatrical manner the extent to which we rely on certain crutches to console us and help us come to terms with our grief. There are several surprising and well-earned twists! It would be delightful to see this onstage, and I hope it receives further development and production opportunities!

So sweet, small, and utterly human. Femia captures the pathos of loneliness and depression balanced with a pitch perfect thread of nuanced humor. The two central characters' evolving relationship/reconnection is profoundly truthful and full of a genuine ache for connection. As a bonus, each character's main supporting scene partner gets their own beautiful arcs. It's rare to see the plight of someone in a relationship with a person coping with mental illness in such a way that shows all of that "caretaker's" warts, missteps, and heartbreak so delicately. Truly a theatrical and sublime work!

I am always so consistently engrossed in Svich's spare, heightened, and fabulistic theatrical worlds. The characters are at once nuanced and dynamic while also retaining a mythic quality. In FUEL I feel like the world is constantly on the brink of erupting into flames. My director brain begins to flesh out the visual-aural landscape of this play quickly. Svich gives so much to work with on that front while also providing a gloriously multi-faceted script that leaves much room for individual interpretation. I sincerely hope to see a production of this soon!

This was a gloriously hilarious read. Rich satire with characters that are, at once, blazingly outlandish and full of nuance and heart. A well-observed, theatrically heightened view of relationships, longing, intimacy, and small liberal arts colleges. This had me in stitches throughout, but some of the scenes, particularly Jackie and Alaska's direct-address-"duet" of sorts rang with the brilliant truthfulness of totally uncensored inner life. I hope to see this someday!