Recommended by Nick Malakhow

A comedic and sharply satirical ensemble piece that would be a treat for a creative production team to work on. There's much here to work with in terms of design and movement, and the heightened theatrical world Corwin creates has this super saturated, bombastic, original, collage-like feel. She explores so much: the intersection of environmentalism and media/social media/youth culture, "environmentalism" supported by the very corporations implicated, the role of apathy and self-interest in climate change protest movements, and more. A couple of potent, poignant moments tie the play together and juxtapose the earlier satirical clowning beautifully.

An unsettling examination of problematic men, systems, and structures--all the more astute/unsettling given how deftly rendered with fine brushstrokes they are here. What information is withheld from us and when it is revealed is carefully calculated. It hammers home how toxic masculinity and abusive behavior survives not just because of the perpetrators who so brazenly hurt others, but because of the male followers and status quo upholders who refuse to rock the boat in fear of implicating both others and themselves. Charlie's rationalization of it all was particularly disturbing and impactful. Daniel's pain and complicity felt sick and accurate.

In addition to creating a compelling contemporary story about sexual assault in the entertainment industry, Tuft explores thorny questions about what to do with problematic art/artists, how to escape cycles of reinforcing misogyny and excuse-making for abusers, and more. The English teacher in me most appreciates the thorough and complex critique of "The Crucible," and a disruption of it being the canonical text about the Salem Witch Trials--hammering home the utter crime of Miller taking an historical tragedy of control over women's bodies and personhoods and making it a misogynistic (and inaccurate) piece about male honor.

Smart, sharp, and absolutely hilarious. Nandita Shenoy does a brilliant job of exploring how liberal movements can so dangerously exist within and be reinforced by the oppressive structures they are trying to overturn. The satirical concept is beautifully executed from a big picture/thematic perspective, and the characters are multi-dimensional, layered, and free from a sort of one-note symbolism that many satirical ensembles can fall into. So much is tackled here--white feminism, appropriation, the reach of toxic patriarchy into liberal movements, the responsibility we put on especially nonwhite women and femme-identifying folk to galvanize change. Love to see it produced!

A surprising, sharp, and darkly comedic exploration of white America's preoccupation with legacy and ownership of "American identity" as well as their abuse, categorization, and othering of Indigenous people. Benj and Spooky are compelling and warmly drawn central characters and serve as a perfect counterpoint to Bud and his family's erratic, eclectic members. The juxtaposition of Benj and Spooky's humanity with the white folks' figurative resonance/symbolism is impactful. I'd be eager to see this piece on its feet!

This was a ride and one of the most inventive theatrical worlds I've had the pleasure of reading. I appreciated the interplay of dark and light here, particularly when there were these stark, unsettling, potent shifts into slightly more naturalistic storytelling/monologue from the buoyancy and vibrancy of prior scenes. I would love to see some of these unforgettable stage images, sequences, and moments on their feet and tackled by a creative production company!

This play does the awesome twofold job of illustrating why "Our Town" is both universal and why it is such an inherently specific story that captures a definite place and moment in time that must be interrogated and updated. Moon's envisioning of the fictional town's trajectory into the present day is of-the-moment, examines key identity intersections and perspectives not tackled in or left out of Wilder's work, and still manages to say some profound and large universal truths about life and mortality and legacy and what we want out of our lives that would speak to a large audience.

A deeply unsettling and surprising piece. While ominous from the start, Marlin manages to lull the reader/audience into focusing on the humanity of these characters before examining the disparate and often troubling journeys of these folks to this meeting (to say more would betray some of the surprises at hand). The irregular and human and natural dialogue is offset perfectly by some huge theatrical grand gestures that will leave images in my mind in days to come! Effective human exploration of prejudice, racism, and much more crossed with mindbending horror, especially towards the end.

A spectacular theatrical world rendered with such clarity and specificity. The tenderness with which Dring writes about these characters is always evident. The story is also told with much humor to balance out poignant moments of pathos, connection, and loss. The aesthetic mix of more naturalistic conversations with awesome movement sequences and lyrical theatrical poetry is also an original and compelling artistic whole. Akio's journey is a concrete anchor that allows expansive exploration of this world. I would so love to see this onstage soon!

An absolutely spectacular, fabulistic piece that marries folktale and movement theater with a specific, poignant, funny, and human story. Lena is such a compelling central character, and I was so moved by her journey and the way she explored her betweenness, her connections and lack thereof to various parts of her identity, and her own definitions of family. I will not forget many of the stage images within the piece, and a creative theater company should have a field day bringing this fantastic play to life.