Recommended by Nick Malakhow

Super suspenseful, tautly written, subtle horror. I loved the theatrical world Vanderark created here and that it was populated by queer folk with narratives that both honored that portion of their identities while also not focusing solely on it. The sharp, satirical commentary on the fine line between religion, faith, destructive fanaticism, and totalitarianism is clear but never heavy handed. I appreciated how this world dealt with recognizable and relevant themes while still existing outside of the baggage of specific present religious/governmental structures. In that sense, it took on a fabulistic, parable-like quality which served the story well.

The setup of this piece is potent--the unity of time and space, the urgency of the impending execution, and the assortment of folks with eclectic relationships to a monster of a prisoner all make for a compelling story. The conversations about capital punishment, the aftermath of trauma (inflicted and inherited), bereavement, and the question of what to do with the unspeakable rage and fear these characters have experienced are all fleshed out and detailed. I appreciated how it both ended with the inevitable, but explored the untidy aftermath of of that moment. Interested to follow this play's trajectory!

Wow! What a gorgeous, gorgeous play. Lyrical with both everyday and heightened poetry, full of rich and saturated visuals and sound, and dynamic and compelling characters. The examination here of genderqueer identity, various kinds of betweenness, found vs. blood family, friendship, and emergence into new phases (of various kinds) of one's life is thorough, complex, and nuanced. The use of music and dance and the theatrical liminal space Sam occupies between their blood relatives and the yearning, evolving found family is boldly theatrical. I'd so love to see this onstage! I hope to do so one day.

A detailed, beautifully told, and rich story whose protagonist Ivy goes on a compelling and nuanced journey. The discussion of so many things ranging from adoption; definitions of family; huge questions about race, culture, identity; the identities and lives of Native folks in the US; and the ways the US has systematically betrayed those lives is seamlessly integrated into the story. Ivy's relationship with Tamara is one rarely seen onstage--one that illustrates someone feeling like an outsider to their identity and ways forward from that untethered state--and one that demands visibility.

A beautiful piece full of humanity, humor, sorrow, and nary an easy answer or resolution in sight. Femia's exploration of these particular humans in the aftermath of the catastrophe that was the 9/11 terrorist attacks is both such a pointed and specific piece that addresses that event, while also more broadly providing universal truths about loss (individual and collective), the quandary of what to do with rage and anger, and how to respond to violence (again--both individual and collective). The world of this Halloween shop is just so clear and nuanced. I loved spending time with these folks.

This took all sorts of surprising turns I did not expect, and I eagerly went along for the ride. Equal parts poignant and humorous, "You Have Earned Bonus Stars" manages to look at mortality, violence, and ethics in America with a nuanced lens. Danielle's quest with Jimmy's ashes is such a perfect extended metaphor for the destabilizing and puzzling after effects of violence on the living who are trying to make sense of the senseless and of their own places in the world. The resolution and final scenes are surprising yet feel inevitable and well-earned. Great work!

What a beautiful theatrical world that Novack has drawn here. In "Transferal," he contemplates bereavement, mortality, loss (of various kinds), dependency, and the malleable and evolving definitions of family. The co-existing realities of Cato/The Pilot, Kora and Rose, and their intersections are similarly evolving and unique. This strikes me as a piece that would be a treat to approach as an actor, designer, director, and choreographer. I'm eager to follow its trajectory and hope to see it live and on its feet some day soon!

An extraordinarily compassionate play. Gina Femia doesn't let these characters off the hook while still rendering them with nuance and depth. I loved the convention of the rhyming names--it helped illustrate how easy it is for liberal folks to see conservatives as monolithic and very "same-same," and was a stark contrast to their specific and unique identities which did emerge as the play progressed. The real-time action is engagingly human and simple. The everyday poetry of speech is bolstered by a couple of "grand gestures" of theatricality, particularly from Ann towards the end. Powerful!

Fast-paced, wickedly funny, and delightfully disturbing, "39 Revolutions" both reads beautifully on the page and would be a theatrical treat to see realized on its feet. Alex Lin explores the rage and fear and desire and powerlessness many young people, in particular young women and femme-identifying folks, feel in this socio-political moment. At the same time that the play is sympathetic to its complex characters, it manages to comment on divisiveness within movements and ways that systems force like-minded but conflicting people to cannibalize one another. Excited to see how this lives in a theater live some day!

Excellent! Durham manages to excoriate white supremacy, gentrifiers, and virtue signalers while still showing us flawed and complex characters who aren't all good or bad. The sharp and satiric humor is perfectly pitched and equal parts cringeworthy and all-too-familiar. In Tom, Molly, and Peter, we see three super different but equally harmful images of white liberalism. The endangered species motif threaded throughout is quite potent as well. The final exchange between Jaquan and Elijah is gutting, quiet in its power, and an effective punctuation mark for the piece. Wonderful, essential work.