Recommended by Nick Malakhow

I couldn't put this expansive, theatrical, genre-bending piece down once I started reading it! It's so hilarious on the page--the eclectic characters are all very interesting, the overall "aesthetic of the humor" is so clear, and even the way the comedic timing would work in performance feels so carefully constructed--I can only imagine what a treat it would be to see fully realized. At the same time that this play is a purely entertaining piece of hilarity, it also explores in unique ways marriage and relationships, art/adaptation, and rhetoric. Here's hoping I get to see this sometime soon!

I was not expecting this play to go where it went, and I was absolutely delighted to be along for the ride. S MJ explores small-town life and the social expectations and limitations that come with it with a depth, darkness, and humor that constantly engages. These four young folks are all suffering for various reasons in the muck and mire that is their town, and the way they come together, hurt one another, and orbit around each other is intensely interesting. The slightly heightened world and use of "Our Town"--subverting its nostalgia--is theatrical and compelling.

I so love the way this play is both expansive/mythic and incredibly human and tightly focused. Marchant weaves in world building details that flesh out this compelling theatrical universe with subtlety and a light hand that never feels expository. Cally and Juniper's relationship, in particular, was a strong central focus, and the exquisite stage images and atmospheric details were easy to imagine in my head. I'd love to see an adventurous production team take on the design, direction, and performance of this play!

I so love this play with all of my heart--it is aesthetically expansive and theatrical while also being laser focused on its compelling, achingly human characters. The juxtaposition between its magical theatricality and the little seismic shifts in Miggy and Jay's and Lucy and Angel's relationships is brilliant. In particular, the well-observed scene where Miggy and Jay speak to one another through Miggy's door is perfect, poignant, and satisfying. Additionally, this play manages to be HILARIOUS as a welcome counterpoint to its exploration of uncomfortable truths, inherited trauma, familial patterns, and queer love. Gorgeous!

A beautiful, well-crafted adaptation of the stories of Icarus, Daedalus, and the Minotaur. Well-written scenes full of natural and human dialogue are punctuated by rich, lyrical monologues, personal moments, and important confessional addresses to unseen people. Guerra uses the mythology to effectively explore disability stigma; caretaking; letting go of loved ones, family, and preconceived notions about them; and loss. Highly theatrical piece that begs to be staged!

Poignant and well-crafted! Guerra captures the ethos of "Our Town" while giving us an entirely new piece that straddles a similar specific/universal divide. In choosing to center the families and relationships that he centers, Guerra challenges the perspective that "Our Town" is a blank canvas of universality free from identity. He examines how shifting cultural values and identity dynamics are woven into the fabric of the US and that landmark, "universal" narratives must be revisited and disentangled from whiteness as we evolve. Beyond this important task, the play is also beautiful, haunting, funny, sad, and hopeful. Lovely work!

Unsettling, dark fun! Barbara Lindsay has crafted an offbeat and complex family whose members have intriguing and rich dynamics. The slightly amplified situations and satire/farce-leaning language and visuals lend a wonderful theatricality to the piece. They also underscore the exploration of the major themes of family dysfunction, and inherited trauma/traits. Sleepwalking is a perfect extended metaphor for a family unable to escape its own destructive cycles. Thought-provoking and entertaining!

An exquisite and theatrical exploration of mental illness and complex family relationships. The broader use of climate change, Brooke's obsession with Mary Lee, and Gail's post-it note coping strategy provide beautiful, nuanced, and subtle extended metaphors that bolster the human core of the play. There is also something really poignant about reading it right now--it begs to be staged and creatively realized on its feet, and I can't wait to see it live some day. There's so much here for a whole production team--from actors to directors to designers to movement folks--to sink its teeth into.

A really intriguing mix of dark comedy and unsettling truths. Bethany Dickens Assaf uses society's obsession with true crime media to deftly explore identity, violence perpetrated against women, and the multitudinous and complex ways folks process and work through trauma. The delightfully dark and humorous podcast setup brings a funny throughline to the piece, and the nuanced, rich, and eclectically identifying characters ground the action well. I'd love to see this moody, funny, atmospheric piece onstage!

I was thoroughly engaged throughout this briskly-moving real time play. From electric, hilarious, and energetic opening to haunting ending, I appreciated the emotional and stylistic scope of this piece. As with all of Femia's plays, the central characters were rendered with such complexity and nuance, and their brief but potent interaction felt plausible and exciting. The theatricality of the rain heightened the spare lyrical/natural balance of the text. I'd so love to see this realized onstage with inventive design, direction, and acting--a production team has so much to work with here!