Recommended by Nick Malakhow

This play just touched me deeply! An exquisite combination of hilarity and humanity that explores huge topics like cis adolescent male masculinity, friendship, mortality, and family trauma entirely through the intimate and fully-realized relationship of Jamie and Sam. Huffman's use of shifting chronology, the theatricality of baseball, and the performativity of masculine friendship all come together beautifully in a piece that I would love to see onstage. Lovely and subtle work.

A lush, atmospheric, and highly theatrical piece with compelling stage images and visual metaphors used throughout. The two complex characters at the center of this piece are rendered with such clarity and nuance. I appreciated that Olivo simultaneously did not shy away from the traumas (familial and otherwise) these characters face and have faced, while also centering this loving relationship. It acknowledged their hardships while still maintaining hope and possibility.

A delightfully hilarious satire populated by such well-defined and recognizable characters. I loved the way that the central action of this play lived in little seismic shifts between characters and within the overall group dynamic, which all lead up to an appropriately fabulous shift in the beleaguered Moderator. It manages to stay light overall while still taking sharp and effective jabs at consumerism, marketing, identity, and human relationships. The unity of time/space is also highly theatrical! I'd love to see this live.

Absolutely hilarious piece that moves at a brisk clip. The sharp, biting humor manages to stay light while Barlow explores queer friendship and dating, intimacy, and self-actualization into adulthood. I was particularly taken with the examination of the ways certain relationships sometimes hold us back and the poignant conclusion that escaping those friendships don't necessarily serve as a panacea one hopes they will be. Amelia and Sean are spectacular and charming anti-heroes for actors to sink their teeth into, and the ensemble of demons/characters would be a treat for adaptable, versatile performers.

A briskly-paced, intelligently written piece that centers around a dynamic and engaging family. It's beautifully structured, beginning with a sense of tension and comedy that play off one another well and serve as a potent preamble to unsettling and surprising, yet entirely plausible revelations. Cann explores a distinctly American brand of political ambition and desire by illuminating the individual story of this very well-rendered family. I'd love to see this in production!

A beautiful examination of loss, grief, guilt, family, and legacy populated by well-defined characters with crystal clear voices. I enjoyed both the easy naturalism of the speech paired with the slightly heightened and magical theatricality of Arletta's abilities. A great mix of comedy and pathos. I'd love to see it live!

Beautiful, beautiful piece populated by a sizeable ensemble of complex, nuanced individuals. I appreciated how it was set in the orbit of the Pulse nightclub massacre, allowing Crayton to explore identity, faith, family, generational strife and trauma within this Black family in a way that both feels wide and intimate in scope. All of the characters are amazingly rendered, and I found the dual journeys of Elijah and Olivia to be particularly compelling and hopeful. The balance of humor and tragedy is affecting and engaging. I'd love to see it live!

A really interesting and nuanced exploration of intersectional identity; various manifestations of overt and covert homophobia; and complex issues of political asylum, assimilation, and independence. In Matthew, Proft examines what happens when an ostensibly well-meaning white liberal imposes their cultural views, identities, and values onto other individuals coming from different social, political, and cultural contexts. The evolution of David and Matthew's relationship is human and interesting to watch, and the piece balances humor with poignant pathos.

Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL work that explores the intersection of queerness, coming of age, fantasy/imagination, and faith. The fantastical use of Poppy serves as a delightful juxtaposition to the human, complex story of Isaac and his evolving relationship with his mother and the new boy in town. There are lots of stories that explore coming out in religious families, but I was so pleased to see one end with such intricacy, nuance, and hope. Jill's final monologue also provides such elegant and original insights into the purpose and power of religion, belief, and faith.

The juxtaposition between the harrowing present and the poignant past is so effectively executed here. The way Adnan and Khaled's relationship develops through scenes from the past feels organic, touching, and so incredibly human. It makes the unsettling interactions between them after Adnan is abducted all the more tragic and sad. I appreciated the wide reaching exploration of homophobia and the socio-political and cultural climate of Syria immediately following and then a few years into the future from the Arab Spring, and the intimate, specific story at the center of this piece.