Recommended by Nick Malakhow

A potent and powerful exploration of violence in schools and America, and on the capitalization/commodification of fear and anxiety to further an agenda. Eric Reyes Loo has four richly unique and well-rendered teenage characters who are contrasted perfectly by a rotating carousel of misguided and unfortunate adults. Vacillating between sharp satire, horrifying and lyrical choral reading/staging, and nuanced and complex moments of human connection between these suffering young people, "This Is Only a Test" addresses American gun violence in a truly theatrical and innovative way. Glad to see this is getting a production in 2021.

What a beautiful solo piece that elegantly uses cartography for its metaphorical connection to identity. Roa explores betweenness in all sorts of ways here, examining the ways that intersectional identity can make one feel like an outsider within a variety of communities. I also appreciated how, on the flipside, they illustrated how such liminality can also be a super power as well. There is a lot of room here for flexible and intriguing design elements as well--I'd love to see this performed!

What a spectacular piece that navigates a tightrope walk between comedy, drama, and fantasy in a deft way that feels complex, eclectic and yet cohesive and aesthetically unified. The larger narrative of family trauma, abuse, healing, patriarchal structures, and toxic masculinity definitely feels universal and troublingly relevant. At the same time, the characters' social, political, and cultural context is so specific it adds numerous nuances and complexities to the larger themes addressed. It feels brilliantly theatrical and like the kind of play a production team couldn't wait to dive into. Hope to see it live!

I loved this epic collision of drama/sci-fi/horror/post-apocalyptic story. Tseng clearly has a knack for world building, and they fully establish an intriguing society rife with social and political divisions. This peek beyond the initial chaos of a zombie outbreak gives us a really fascinating look into how society might reorganize and reprioritize after a world-ending crisis with believable threads of xenophobia and prejudice still guiding legislation and one-on-one interactions. I appreciated how this could be allegorically linked to everything from the AIDS crisis to immigration to brutal authority. Like all great sci-fi, contemporary connections abound.

I loved this queer subversion/explosion of the Oedipus myth. There are plenty of recognizable characters, relationships, and tropes from the source material, but the story has also clearly been transformed into a whole other being. Tseng utilizes the myth to explore a host of intriguing and nuanced themes like stewardship/legacy within the gay male community, the processing of adoption and its connection to identity, and bereavement/letting go/moving on. At the same time, Tseng honors Oedipus with a healthy dose of tragedy, fate, and familial cycles. The ending sequence (last 20 pages) was spectacular, and left me breathless.

I enjoyed the tension-filled relationships and vividly-defined, yearning characters set up in the first half of this piece. An unsettling and surprising revelation at the halfway points succeeds in amping up the stakes while still keeping the focus on these complex characters' humanity and journeys. Hartwell also succeeds at conjuring a sense of place and atmosphere with deft skill. I'd be interested to see this piece up on its feet--the ambiguous ending is satisfying even as it's open to interpretation. I'd be thrilled to read more about this intriguing constellation of people and enjoyed my time spent with them.

A gorgeous piece that has the spare lyricism and beauty as well as offbeat, eclectic, and unique aesthetic of Diaz's other plays I've read. Parker's journey serves as a profound yet straightforward metaphor for a variety of things--a sense of shame reagrding long-term hidden or visible chronic illness, losing control of one's body, grief, coming to terms with all sorts of uncomfortable truths--while also being a dynamic real-time story. All of the aesthetic eccentricities--the existential threat of the birds, the connected imagery of Dorothy, the midwest, scarecrow--conspire to create a poignant and often funny fable of sorts.

An exquisite piece! Freddy is a fantastic, compelling nucleus around which the play orbits. I love how, despite the hugely high stakes of the piece once Agnes arrives, Palmquist's plot unfolds with tension, yes, but also with nuanced and complex character development instead of overwrought tragedy. The central moral question of what is the right thing to do vs. what is the letter of the law is so sharply and perfectly dissected and explored here. Each character's words ring with truth and naturalism and also with moments of lyrical beauty. How I'd love to see this onstage!

The reverse chronology of this play makes for some ingeniously-revealed character development as well as some genuine and poignant surprises. Eric Reyes Loo establishes three unique and complex individuals. Don's journey is compelling, as are the relationships between him and Mike and him and Annemarie. Additionally, Reyes Loo explores faith, identity, living one's truth, and the intersection of religion and sexual orientation in a nuanced and fully fleshed out manner. Don's loaded conversations with Mike evoke sympathy for both characters, even as we see Don struggling to live his truth and Mike yearning to not hide. Beautiful work!

I enjoyed this lighthearted romantic comedy that explored familial relationships, gay dating and hookup culture, and navigating life for 20 and 30-somethings. Tom and Rick are well-defined and likeable characters, and the slew of funny and awkward dates and hook ups (with some poignant moments in there for good measure) are comedic without being too schticky. The piece manages to speak to broader issues and tensions related to gay male dating, sex, and romance while still capturing a specific time and place. Would be a great and audience pleasing comedic addition to a season!