Recommended by Nick Malakhow

This play is both heady and visceral...the best of both worlds. Such a uniquely executed, focused, and powerful exploration of so much: the commodification of women's bodies, old as time expectations about women and how those expectations manifest themselves today, the duality of sex work and the ways it both provides and can inhabit power and agency, the male fixation with the "virgin"/"whore" dichotomy, and so much more. The ending is particularly potent and poignant and the whole play provides the smartest insights into Titus Andronicus I've encountered!

A rich, nuanced two-hander that explores political divisions and the tribalism that infects and impacts political discourse today! Rather than simply presenting those thorny divisions onstage, claws and fangs bared, Romeo has so wisely chosen two people desperately in need of a nuanced discussion as well as this connection with each other. Because of that, the play so elegantly navigates both the emotional and logical aspects of political discussions, philosophy, and the current socio-political climate of the US. I "root" for and understand both characters and found the ending both satisfying and a rejection of pat, easy answers.

A beautiful play both intimate and epic in scope. In the Levi-Katz family and the holiday of Passover, we have a core nucleus to care about and track as Viterbi explores so many aspects of Judaism, Jewish identity/diaspora and the multitudes within. Highly theatrical but accessible...I hope to see this produced far and wide!

Beautiful, lyrical, historical fiction that both informs on its subject and resonates emotionally today. "Stockade" clearly paints a picture of a complex moment in time by illuminating the lives of a very specific but small constellation of people. I was amazed by its expansiveness and intimacy, as well as the way Andrew plays with potent, naturalistic scenes juxtaposed with more figurative theatrical tools. I would so love to see this on its feet!

A unique and powerful piece that has the vulnerable and confessional feel of a solo show with the theatrical benefits of additional actors to help propel the story forward and fill out the world. David's journey and the way Reis gets us into his thought processes and struggles is impressively rendered. The examination of David's love of and comfort in statistics and seeing how his disordered eating and grappling with mental health both dovetail with and work against the statistical ways his mind works is all so well done and nuanced. Thank you for writing this story!

A beautiful family dramedy whose scope is as expansive as it is intimate. Pilapil explores the complexities and sacrifices and risks of emigrating from another country for a better life for you and your descendants, inherited trauma, assimilation, pride and shame, and so much more. Each character is so specifically and delicately drawn, and their wants, needs, and fears are clear and so clearly come into conflict with everyone else's in ways that are truthful and engaging to watch. Throughout, the love of this family beneath these struggles is palpable. The humor inherent in being human is poignantly executed.

An incisive, insightful piece that brings together recognizable people and tunes their personality quirks, values, fears, and desires up a notch to satirical heights. The fall of Dan, the rise of Aisha, and the meddling of Clark are all fodder for hilarious and on point commentary on the ways progressive liberals are oblivious to their biases and the dangers of not interrogating or realizing that practice. Add in some Shakespearean betrayals rendered contemporarily and a dose of musical theater fanaticism, and you have a play that promises to be an engaging evening! I'm eager to follow its developmental path!

This delicate, wrenching duet begins as a disarming story of a relationship. It continues by exploring what we give of ourselves and take from others in relationships and the messy back and forth of that, examining addiction, and coping with the jarring moment of figuring out what to do when confronted with the unforgivable. I loved the nuance and specificity of Yoshiko and John as well as the mythic, heightened, fabulistic layer of the story that emerges towards the end. Lisa Sanaye Dring has such an ear for dialogue that is everyday, human, profound, and poetic all at once.

Amazing piece that starts as an unassuming glimpse into the meeting and relationship of Gina and David and transforms into a poignant, lyrical meditation on mortality (and immortality), marriage, and connection. I really enjoyed the ways that the speculative fiction details were woven throughout the text and how an entire imagined reality for the future of our world was rendered with just two characters! Additionally, the visual and textual metaphors were rich, layered, and subtle. I'd so love to see this play in production.

A briskly moving, insightful play that is as funny as it is poignant. Haddad-Chin explores identity, assimilation, privilege, family, and much more. From Amy's satirically brazen brandishing of her "newfound identity" to Jasmine's nuanced and powerful discoveries to Samia's central journey through the liminal space of identity and unknown ancestry, there is a lot for production teams and audiences to sink their teeth into here. The central question explored here--what defines heritage and how does that impact your relationships with friends, family, and the world at large?--is so thoroughly dissected and powerfully illuminated. I'd love to see it produced!