Recommended by Nick Malakhow

This is a compelling collection of scenes that capture a lot of very of the moment sentiments and experiences in an unexpected way. The way Sharma plays with chronology here keeps you hooked throughout and constantly reevaluating and reengaging with earlier moments in the play. The four central characters are quite distinct and have important conversations about both self care and care of others, the toll/reward of those things, white complicity, and a really incisive question about allyship: "Who is willing to support me in my absence?" Eager to follow this play's developmental trajectory!

This beautiful play is like a holograph--you can look at it from so many different angles and see bold and well-defined narratives: a fully fleshed out and complex story of a marriage; an examination of the intersections of relationships, autonomy, and love; generational gifts and scars; bodily ownership, reclamation, and identity; and much more. Each of these individual threads is compelling in and of itself--altogether, they make a stunning “whole” greater than the sum of its parts. Nuanced, human, poignant, funny.

A beautiful and haunting play that stylistically navigates gorgeous, lyrical imagery paired with warm and specific humanity. Lloyd explores family, generational legacy/inheritance/trauma, grief, and more in a way that expresses the gravity of such issues and feelings while not shying away from looking forward, hope, and finding solace in home. Jodie and Clarence's relationship is rendered with such poignance and complexity. The beautiful/unnerving/fantastical stage images described here are astounding, and I'd love to see them realized onstage. If you can see the second BAPF reading of this that's still upcoming, please do so!

A complex and gorgeous examination of two infinitely compelling characters (everyone in the piece is well drawn, though I'm specifically referring to Mason and Alix). Carla so wonderfully brings together these two characters with both parallel and intersecting experiences of family, home, and identity, and clocks these subtle but propulsive seismic shifts in their relationship and their senses of themselves. The use of transitory spaces and the juxtaposition of expansive emptiness and cramped claustrophobia is so interesting from a design perspective. I hope to see many theaters and bodies interpret this piece in years to come!

The piece straddles such a fine line between tender humanity, lyricism, bold and funny theatricality, and a heightened/slightly magical fabulistic feel. Rey's coming of age/adulthood, complex and multi-pronged grief, and generational journey is so beautifully laid out throughout the piece. I loved how the play crossed boundaries of time and space with an effortless feel, the Cucuy and Leti truly anchoring the transitions in this aesthetically interesting world--so much exciting work here for designers to contribute essentially to the storytelling. I'd love to see this realized onstage!

In this theatrical and compelling piece, Jaymes Sanchez examines police violence, racism, and excessive force by showing us the complex and disassembling result of the death of Julio on all parties involved. Questions are raised about revenge and grief and their thorny intersection, as well as unreliable narration and how essential it is to question the lens through which any event is viewed. Structurally speaking, I found it extremely engaging that the very naturalistic, tough-to-watch interaction between Joe, Julie + the cops is juxtaposed with more brazen theatricality and stylistic variety before and after. Eager to see this!

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!