Recommended by Nick Malakhow

Smartly written speculative fiction that makes incisive points about reality tv, celebrity, human achievement, and the ways that public figures utilize the media to manipulate others' perceptions of them. The surprises, much like a reality show, come fast and furious and really capture the scripted/real dichotomy of the genre. The characters are interesting and well-defined (and you can truly see the reality tv archetypes at play), and the pieces situation in the midwest offers pointed and essential commentary on urban coastal America vs. the more rural midwest.

A unique constellation of family is further complicated by death, grief, and a desire for connection and legacy. Cooper's eclectic characters are all yearning for very clear goals in the wake of tragedy, and it's really engaging to watch them pursue them to varying levels of success and happiness. Threaded throughout is an interesting examination of toxic masculinity and the ways men prevent themselves from loving and acting upon socially frowned upon desires (and the outlets they find to fulfill those desires anyway). I loved the melancholic yet hopeful ending.

I loved the way this piece wound back and forth through time, amplifying its themes of family, legacy, inheritance, and belonging. The characters were all vividly realized and their cultural, moral, and ethical values and beliefs were all demonstrated with subtle and nuanced word choice and body language. I particularly enjoyed Tony's revelation about his grandma's narrative--the one he really should've been in search of concerning his heritage and family, and his final monologue is poignant and affecting. A warmly told, humorous story about what we take from and what we leave behind in our family's history.

A funny, satirical examination of achievement culture, competition, and the desire to succeed and belong. It is made all the more complex and nuanced by Osorio's intersectional lens that explores the ways various identities inform one's opportunities and their sense of self. The cross section of humans in this piece and their relationships with one another are well chosen and represented. Though the stakes are high for all of these teens, I love that Osorio doesn't resort to contrived theatrics to make his points. Sprinkled throughout biting satire are plentiful, genuinely touching, poignant moments.

A fast-moving, compelling piece four incredibly complex, layered, amazing lead characters that you can't help but empathize with. There is something exquisite about seeing these four friends with disparate hopes, dreams, and goals connect, struggle, hurt, and heal in this central place of the sauna. In a number of amazingly written group scenes, Rose shows how these characters' Blackness, gender, and weight shape and dictate their various relationships, self-image, and actions. These naturalistic scenes are punctuated by moments of direct address, theatricality, group movement, and song that shape the piece. I'd love to see this wonderful play onstage!

A well-observed, vividly-rendered piece that examines small, seismic shifts that indicate broader cultural truths about consumerism, socio-economic realities, authenticity vs. selling out vs. "poserism," and how all of these things intersect with interpersonal friendships and collegial relationships. The four central characters are exquisitely multi-dimensional, and Williams' masterful "showing vs. telling" speaks volumes about their desires, passions, roadblocks, and struggles with a supernatural degree of authenticity. I also appreciated the eye towards intersectionality with regards to race, class, and gender. I'd love to see these rich characters and the beautifully rendered workplace in a live production!

A spectacular piece that's propelled forward by beautifully-observed, human, naturalistic dialogue, as well as profound truths captured in spare, lyrical phrasing. I was thoroughly engaged in this piece throughout and appreciated the way that it took such heavy subject matter and eschewed contrived or sentimental theatrics in favor of small, seismic, and incredibly nuanced character shifts. The moments and decision-making around Luna's invitation to Aaron for her presentation were touching, wrenching, real. This play is intimate and producible, and I hope it has a long life on the stage!

Using wonderfully-rendered, unique characters, Williams illustrates the ways we keep one another at a distance through our use of technology. The digital detox retreat at which every character is there with their own ulterior motive of sorts is a perfect location for this funny and quirky piece. The haunting and theatrical elements occur at well-timed intervals, and the piece ends with a great deal of hope and an eye towards living balanced and connected lives with folks in the flesh as well as online.

A wrenching and beautifully structured choreopoem that really captures the ways that sexual violence shatters and lingers and then infects one's mental health irrevocably for the rest of their life. I also appreciated the focus on hope and healing. Pearson tells this story with beautiful, spare, complex, and yet accessible poetry--it reads so well, and I can only imagine how much more amazing it would be to see this fully realized onstage with movement and dance. The particular and specific emphases on self harm and body image as part of Ava's journey was deftly and amazingly handled as well.

This funny, highly theatrical piece combines adventure, satire, farce, the absurd, and queer coming-of-age in a chaotically cohesive aesthetic whole! Emma Goldman-Sherman examines the ways the patriarchy attempts to shape and control women and femme identifying folks using classical allusion and pop culture in a savvy and subversive manner. The exploration of the roots of violence against and hatred towards women and towards the self for women is comprehensive and engaging for teen and adult audiences alike; I loved how this piece managed to capture the gravity of these issues while leaving us with hope and humor.