Recommended by Nick Malakhow

Wholly original work that explores identity in a super theatrical way that I couldn't have possibly dreamed up! I love the coexistence of gruesomeness and hilarity and poignancy. The fabulistic/parable-like quality also sets the piece apart, and the language feels spare and lyrical while the world is so sumptuously defined. How I'd love to see a creative production company tackle this piece!

Superb piece! It explores the intersections of things both huge and small--family, sibling relationships, incarceration, Islam and Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, music, and so much more--in a theatrical and compelling fashion. The way music is integrated and the poignant and nuanced metaphors--music style, the visual of cells and bars, etc.--make for what I imagine is a visual and aural treat in production. I'd love to see this on its feet!

Compelling, heightened, offbeat farce that explores many issues of the contemporary US--virtue signaling, class, rationalization of maintaining toxic and harmful structures under the assumptions of "do-gooder-ism." The characters are terrifyingly recognizable and Yockey's signature darkness meets comedy is on full display here. I loved the theatricality of some of the more subtly fantastical moments, especially Felicia Reed-Walker's final exit.

A powerful, theatrical piece that takes full advantage of the magic of live theater. Jo and Haywood's parallel journeys are simultaneously wrenching, heartbreaking, frustrating, and poignant. They are such fully-rendered and specific characters, painted with care and sensitivity. McCarthy's use of malleable chronology and playing with time/space illuminates and reveals character details at interesting intervals. I also loved how they rendered the surrounding environment and cultural context brilliantly with only two characters onstage. The ending scene and movement sequence was satisfying and something I'd so love to see staged!

In this piece, Varjas does a wonderful job of presenting us with complex, recognizable characters who we sympathize with even as they frustrate us. He illuminates accurate, toxic dynamics within the gay cis-male community, and I loved how we were privy to the ways the characters in this piece both were subjected to and perpetuated certain social expectations and biases. Above all, I think the juxtaposition of loneliness and connection that can be a characteristic of queer bar spaces was represented well here. Poignant, funny, and true.

A nuanced and clever satire on white privilege, exploring the complexities of reparations and whether wealth redistribution on the individual level can create lasting, structural change or just go beyond virtue signaling. The visual metaphors (storms, sinkholes, anchors) help to supplement and illuminate the broader themes in clever ways. I'd look forward to following the trajectory of this piece and its development.

Equal parts hilarious and upsetting, Lahne navigates sharply satirical farce with precision. What is especially compelling here is the haunting theatricalization of the internet, which acts as an effective and creepy chorus. Avram's journey is surprising and affecting, and Lahne manages to mine the emotional twists and turns within him to keep him sympathetic throughout, anchoring the piece with this exploration of adolescent identity and its combined roots in chaos, self-destruction, and a longing to belong. The other characters are expertly and hilariously drawn in the aesthetically coherent world. I'd love to see this onstage.

A beautiful, quietly potent exploration of loss and relationships. The folks centered in this piece are people who typically don't get such intimate, nuanced stories written about them, and the intersectional complexities that emerge from centering these voices are a welcome thing to read. I sincerely hope to see this highly theatrical and compelling piece onstage some day soon!

Such a dynamic piece with a propulsive narrative thread. It weaves together various aesthetic sensibilities into a coherent whole. The intersectional exploration of celebrity culture, pop music, and identity-driven double standards in the entertainment industry is powerful sharp. The genre-bending meta-turn in the last quarter of the piece is surprising and potent. The poignant coda of Tess' song is a perfect ending. I hope to see this onstage so soon!

A compelling theatrical piece that uses a brisk and darkly-comedic pace/tone and ever so slightly heightened language and circumstances to explore a lot. Clark looks at the ways white cis-het acting masculinity impacts the queer community at large and, specifically, queer Black men and folks who don't fit neatly into prescribed roles; intimacy; and what to do with the trauma and pain that has been inflicted upon you. The clever turns (that are still so perfectly foreshadowed) make for surprising moments and a satisfyingly jaded ending.