Recommended by Nick Malakhow

I enjoyed this queering of the wedding/friends trip/beach house comedy genres. Using briskly paced banter and an eclectic ensemble of people, Matthews explores the ways people hold themselves back from self-actualization because of hang ups, prejudices, and neuroses. I enjoyed how things went from acidic humor to zany physical comedy to truly bizarre over the course of the wedding weekend.

An economically written, potent play that manages to explore huge ideas and events--survivor guilt, generational trauma, immigration, family, the legacy of Holocaust survivors--by focusing on a few key individuals. The piece is full of warmth and humanity while not shying away from the pain of grief and trauma survivors' struggles with mental health. Its chronological intricacies along with Freyda's direct address heighten the theatricality and serve to punctuate the beautifully naturalistic scenes. Fred the rubber tree is one of my favorite visual metaphors (used with pathos and humor) I've seen. Lovely work that needs to be staged!

This is a wonderful ensemble piece whose characters are all nuanced and have exciting, clear arcs. Audrey's exploration of mental health (in a variety of ways) and familial/generational patterns concerning mental health feels fresh and necessary. Here, she centers narratives about/for/to be performed by young women that need telling. She does so in a way that honors the specificity of these intersectionally rich humans' lives while still having universally resonant messages about relationships, family, fear, anxiety, and coming of age. It's all so beautifully rendered with fine and nuanced brushstrokes.

Really interesting piece that is both a unique and unsettling dystopic/sci fi piece and a sharp exploration of white people's fear of losing power, the toxicity and gaslighting that comes with "accepting" Black and brown folks into white spaces and power, and the frustrating idealization of cis-white-heternormativity. The story was both original in content as well as form, with the shifting chronology and direct address interrogation scenes and monologues helping to build tension, momentum, and suspense. The relationship between Jasmine and Marquise is affecting and heartbreaking to see evolve as Scott's toxic hold takes root. Fascinating!

Wow! What an original and compelling play! I absolutely loved the (mis)translation theatrical device as well as the haunting reappearances of Tommy throughout. The theatrical universe Robideau has created here is unsettling, hilarious, off-kilter, and at times magical, and it is used to tell a potent story about addiction, mental health/PTSD, and toxic relationships. It manages to be genuinely funny, at times sweet, a little sexy, occasionally scary, and surprisingly touching--if that sounds chaotic, it's not. This world, on the contrary, feels very aesthetically coherent. Theatrical and begs to be seen in a live production!

I loved spending time with these rich, layered characters. The pairing of short, potent scenes with longer ones that embraced the irregularities of natural speech gave this overall sense of hanging out with and getting to know a group of humans at key turning points in their lives. Carr's attention to the rhythms of humanity is amazing. What a joy to see an ensemble of young Black and brown queer characters in a story focused on small seismic shifts in relationships and nuanced goals and dreams. The theatricality of the shelter setting, dance, and music was also exquisite!

An unsettling and effective piece that challenges the viewers' assumptions about sexual assault, violence, gender roles, and relationships. Beneath the urgent and at times shocking unfolding narrative and denouement is also a complex exploration of the ways that toxic patriarchy informs our ideas of power and distorts the agency of folks who don't identity as cis-men. Yasmine is an endlessly interesting character because of this exploration--yes, we cringe and gasp at what she does, but it is clear how her twisted sense of what should happen is informed by years of such conditioned/ingrained societal messaging.

A gloriously original piece that explores queer identity of various kinds, coming of age, and family. Seeing the characters at these three pivotal moments in their lives provides us an exquisite window into their growth. The fast-paced dialogue crackles with hilarity. The interjections of the priestess between acts and the blending of theater with ritual and poetry in the final scene adds a real sense of heightened theatricality. The way Flores parallels these young people's quests about their identities and families with their exploration of Wicca and paganism is powerful and complex. I'd love to see it staged!

A deeply intersectional look at intimacy, loneliness, connection, and grieving. This play gutted me in all of the good ways--I love how it paired humanity and humor alongside its painful examination of letting go of a dead loved one. It also presented a nuanced portrait of a polyamorous human in Jacks (despite them never being seen onstage!) and their complex relationships with Aisling and Noah. The piece was so tender, and I loved how gentle these characters were with each other even as painful truths were revealed and relationships seismically shifted. There was not a false note!

An interesting piece about intimacy and sex and where those two things overlap and diverge. All four characters here are multi-faceted and would present fun challenges for performers to sink their teeth into. I also enjoyed the way Moore examined and discussed the social expectations around sex for folks based on age and gender and how he offered nuanced portrayals of the kind of intimacy teens need and desire.