Recommended by Nick Malakhow

This charming piece evokes the humorous and otherworldly aura of "Blythe Spirit" in a contemporary fashion. Jacobs examines two large themes/concepts--letting go and the spark of inspiration--in a light-hearted and easy to watch and read fashion. I enjoyed the banter between folks and the way the pieces came together in the end felt like a fun riff on familiar comedic forms. Sebastian is both a fun character and an apt metaphor for creative inspiration--mercurial, inconsistent, and plagued by self-doubt, but ultimately inextricably tied to one's sense of themselves. Good fun for all ages!

An extremely inventive and well done use of mythology to explore sexual violence. Jones' unique and anachronistic theatrical world that draws together a riff on various Greek figures and all-too-familiar repeated stories and motifs from other time periods is bold and always compelling. Its reframing of these stories typically told about magnificent and heroic men and gods, turned around to illuminate their cruelty and violence is extremely effective and focuses the conversation on healing from trauma, escaping cycles of abuse, and coalition building as a way of taking charge vs. plundering.

Whew! A fast-moving and propulsive play that explores so much--ethics in tech, whistleblowing, the intersection of identity and social conscience, competition and success--in a taut 90 or so minutes. The huge themes are in contrast to the small and specific focus of the story and the distinct and unique characters. This piece truly is a masterclass in the notion of "universal resonance through looking at specific lives." The irregular, wordless interludes that punctuate the well-written scenes make for character-revealing transitions. Timely and would work beautifully onstage!

An offbeat and funny play that toys with time in an interesting fashion and is populated by dynamic characters. I love how you can take this both as a straightforward story, following the engaging arc of Vee's literal quest, and as a larger meditation on lots of other things--connection, obsession, alienation, and the sustaining of relationships. Lots of priceless imagery here as well, both visual and dialogic!

I so loved the conceit of the lifestyle guru/TED talk format mixed with the theatricality of winding back and forth through space and time and creating a world with minimal props and setup. Rose explodes the notion of "monolithic Black identity" by examining the multitudinous and intersectional intricacies of being an actual Black human being in America. Misogynoir, white male privilege, performative and false allyship, and the ways that structures and systems in America exist to pit Black people against one another are all so thoroughly and sharply explored here. Equal parts hilarious, absurd, and disturbingly truthful.

A sweet, poignant, character-driven short that manages to both provide an excellent set of circumstances and well-rendered individuals populating the theatrical world. Subtlety is the named of the game here, and I enjoyed the little seismic shifts that defined the dramatic action of this piece. A tightly-written, very stageable dramedy with good roles for young men.

An exquisite play full of humanity and bold theatricality. I loved the richly-drawn characters who were clearly created with fine and nuanced brushstrokes. Burbano explores neurodiversity, identity, communication, and the intricacies of human relationships in a really intersectional way that manages to so easily and thoroughly honor the identities of her characters while still maintaining a propulsive plot. Elsa's monologues and AJ and Wookie's impeccably scripted scenes were highlights. I saw San Diego REP'S online reading of this and it felt as emotionally resonant as an in person performance; I can't wait to see this one live.

Yes! So much is loaded into this short piece, yet at the same time the message is straightforward and deftly handled. Lin explores trauma porn; the concept of who has the right to tell a story and the murkiness and greyness around that concept; the whitewashing and commodification of Asian-American cultural experiences, issues and ideas; and pre-conceived notions about Asian and Asian-American women. It's both an incisive/targeted and intersectional look at these issues with applications far beyond the specific context Lin writes. Theatrical, hilarious, sharp.

A simple and effective piece that uses both the actors onstage and the magic of live theater and being in the same room with others to convey the poignant universality of human connection. This piece certainly feels especially loaded as we're stripped of our ability to exist in space in large groups at the moment, and it would be a refreshing and cathartic piece to perform in person once such things occur on a wide scale again.

A sweet and potent vignette that, through theatricality, captures the emotional machinations that underlie a simple and wordless interaction. The use of third person narration here feels like an inventive way to capture the silent flirtation and makes the final moment all the more satisfying.