Recommended by Nick Malakhow

I just loved how this play worked structurally--weaving back and forth in time while simultaneously always charging forward from a narrative/mystery perspective. Additionally, the play is populated by a dynamic group of deftly-rendered characters whose voices are all crystal clear and whose relationship dynamics amplify the stakes of the mystery and each character's relationship to Moose. I'm excited to follow this play's developmental trajectory!

The dialogue between Lucky and Milo is honest and well-written and the two realities (cowboy dream reality vs the apartment) are compellingly theatrical. The honest exploration of debilitating depression and suicidal ideation is a gut punch, but is done with a deft hand and doesn't exploit the pain of any of the characters. Overall, I deeply appreciated the vivid portrayal of Milo's and Lucky's mental health struggles in a refreshingly direct, honest, heartbreaking, and complex manner.

This is an excitingly original exploration of climate change, scientific ethics, the ways humans seek to control/twist nature to their will even with the best of intentions to preserve it. I was also amazed by how distinct and natural the characters sounded. Additionally, I enjoyed seeing Pup's compelling journey from a young, eager, idealistic tusk hunter seemingly in it for a fascination with the animals to more of a "pragmatist" willing to use nature as a commodity.

This gorgeous play has the beautiful inelegance of watching nuanced, imperfect humans in need of connection and love fumble towards those things in propulsively written scenes. The evolving relationship between Kevin and Beth kept me hooked...the information that's slowly leaked out about the baggage they're both coming to the play with is compelling...this truly profound look at big universal questions about love and intimacy that aches with specificity should be produced far and wide!

This play does amazing big-picture stuff related to structure while also containing such nuance and detail at the micro level as well. The characters are all rendered with deft brushstrokes and the use of double-casting between characters in each clinic is quite amazing. Liz is a compelling nucleus around which the play revolves. I also appreciated how each successive scene just cracked open new information about the characters/world and widened the layers of exploring of this complex topic.

With spare and well-constructed dialogue, Jonathan Edmondson explores the unique interpersonal Venn Diagram of a relationship between three friends and shakes up that dynamic with the addition of an unexpected fourth. This is a sympathetic and complex look at the long after-effects of trauma and the sticky/complicated feelings and emotional fallout both for an individual experiencing that trauma as well as for those around them.

A complex and sympathetic exploration of adolescent masculinity and the multitudinous social and internal pressures that shape identity. Each character's needs/wants/reasons for being on the team are clear, and all progress/change to a notable (and realistic) degree by the end of the play. Michael Ronca treats these characters with care and respect while also not "letting them off the hook" for their own roles in perpetuating harmful cycles. The use of wrestling is also wonderfully theatrical!

Phanesia Pharel captures all of the complexity, fanaticism, yearning, and determination of young folks in this layered piece. At its center are several nuanced characters who we all get to know well by the end of the play and who we all root for in some way (in all their quirkiness). Salma, as the dogged galvanizing force in the play, is a compelling nucleus. I also so appreciated the exploration of colorism within the Latinidad.

A beautiful solo show that tenderly and honestly examines the relationships we have with our families and all of the sticky complexities there within. This so impeccably captures big, relatable things about the intersection of mother-son relationships, queerness, Latine identity, and more through the rendering of the hyper-specific and multi-dimensional Bete (and son, Arturo). The way humor and theatricality are woven throughout is also very exciting. I'd love to see this live!

Estranged siblings Jackie and Jacqueline are at the deftly drawn centers of this gothic thriller. The mystery around Jackie's return, the siblings' baggage with their now deceased father, their relitigation of certain aspects of their relationship with one another, and the intrusion of two local cops all kept me reading intently! I love the heightened theatrical overtures (particularly the entrance of the Red Man) and how Johnson used them to get to the emotional heart of his characters.