Recommended by Nick Malakhow

The biting hilarity of act one was the perfect set up to the gutting denouement in act two. Moench creates a super distinct and well-defined world in this piece while only giving us a small cross-section of society--so incredibly impressive! What we don't know of the redefined world in act two is tons more evocative and haunting, I believe, than if we were taken outside the walls of the meetup space. Supremely theatrical, well-paced, consistently surprising, and wholly original. I hope to see this produced some day soon!

This is a fierce and beautiful play! The irregular rhythms and hilarious/human patterns of everyday speech are captured so well here in three dynamic and distinct characters who live at identity intersections consistently and unfortunately neglected in produced work. That finely-tuned realism is counterbalanced by some glorious poetry towards the end of the piece with two of the most wonderful monologues I've read in a while which gave me the chills. The theatrical conceits of cleaning the bar throughout, the time jumps, and the aural landscape heighten the theatricality of the piece. Hope to see this produced soon!

What a joy to read! This script had me both laughing aloud and tearing up in alternating turns. This transcends the genre of "cancer play" to be a truthful and human exploration of friendship. I love how it poses questions about the evolving role of friends in one's life over time, and the poignant statements it makes about the lack of words and tropes we have to capture the navigation of major life changes between friends. Vanessa and Janie are hilariously real and nuanced, and the use of the shape-shifting third actor embraces overt theatricality with panache.

Wow--what a beautiful piece. Definitely a play where the reading of its glorious stage directions provides a lovely glimpse into the visual, aural, sensory world the play might have on its feet. The three central characters are so finely drawn, and vivid as real and distinct human beings. Their interactions are written with tenderness and humanity. I'd be thrilled to see how the puppetry elements and other design pieces would come together to bring this piece to life further. I hope it gets developed and produced soon!

This piece is beautiful and haunting. The scenes travel between the irregular and often hilarious rhythms of natural speech and wrenching poetry. This play is theatrical in the best way. Reading it doesn't do justice to the visual, aural, fully sensory experience I have no doubt it will be in production. Sammy, Miyuki, Nicholas, and Aki-San are well-drawn and compelling characters, and the manners in which Eve Angel and Prince weave their ways throughout the narrative are so propulsive. In zeroing in on such a specific story, it also succeeds as an exploration of justice, resistance, and trauma.

This play is hi-larious! So fast-paced, I actually couldn't stop reading until I finished. The scenes are tightly written and the piece as a whole impeccably structured. These four characters are all incredibly distinct, unique, and rendered with such nuance and panache. I was also surprised by the disarming tenderness that came through particularly in Joy and Aiden's interactions, as well as some of the moments between Aiden and Charlie. This piece feels highly theatrical, and it would be a treat to see it onstage. I hope I get the opportunity to do so soon.

Lyrical, lush poetry meets spare conversational dialogue. Both of these modes serve to characterize the Preacher and the intriguing landscape of the remainder of the town quite well. I always love creative visual clues in texts to help unpack a text, and the way lines in the two-character exchanges are grouped together quickly and effectively guided my reading of the scenes. I loved how fleshed out the world and town were by just these simple duologues and monologues. Well-drawn themes of compassion and community made this feel like an important and, as others have stated, timeless parable.

What a specific and beautifully drawn portrait of two siblings and their complicated relationships to one another and their dying father. The emotions surrounding how to return to and interact with a hometown that feels farther and farther away from who you are currently is absolutely on point, and the town itself comes alive through strategically chosen supporting characters. New information slowly revealed from the past propels us forward, though even just the sibling's interactions in the present are enthralling. The piece is surprising and disarming even as it reaches its inevitable conclusion.

I love the contemplative, irregular pacing and rhythm of this piece. The transitions between scenes are elegant, theatrical, and wonderfully incorporated into the action. The world is so distinct and established so well with just a few key characters! I also love the universal contemplation of grief, legacy, and moving forward in the digital age.

This is a briskly moving, beautiful piece. I love how the rules and expectations are set up right from the start and, slowly but surely, many of our initial guesses or preconceived notions are subverted. Highly theatrical and oftentimes surprising.