Recommended by Nick Malakhow

Timely/timeless exploration of seeking asylum, American Exceptionalism, and what the essential components of "culture" are for any given society. A sharp satire that situates a WASPish family from Connecticut in circumstances neither they nor many Americans could ever see themselves in, though it is all realized in a way that feels frighteningly close to home. There is some satisfying and subtle world building, complicated and fully realized characters, and a satisfying ending that avoids cliches and either "happily ever afters" or unnecessary tragedy. I'd be excited to see this on its feet!

A beautifully crafted, inventive, and highly theatrical exploration of faith, religion, family, and healing (of various kinds). The tight focus on Mary and Johnny allows them to be supremely complex and fully realized individual characters with a nuanced and multi-faceted sibling relationship. Big existential questions about God, the existence of a higher power, faith, the creation of the universe, and their intersection with organized religion are probed with depth and subtlety and a lack of judgment or preconceived notions. Some heady conversations, for sure, but it all moves briskly and, at times, humorously, until its potent, poignant ending.

A highly theatrical exploration of bodies, body image, fatphobia, family, and more. Gijsbers van Wijk explores these topics in ways that are simultaneously both more direct/daring and gentle than I have seen before in the media. That's not to say Millie's journey is without substantial and potent conflict and hardship, but the characters are rendered with such a deft hand that I see and care for all of them, even when their needs and fears and desires conflict with one another. I sincerely hope to see this on its feet some day soon!

Sharp, funny, satirical takedown of self-help culture, influencers, and social media. This tightly wound and packed real-time two hander delivers lots of genuine surprises, as well, as it skewers the aforementioned things and analyzes how they intersect with both mental health/wellness and capitalism. Laura manages to do all of this while still balancing two very human characters that are easy to root for in their own individual, misguided ways. I'm eager to follow this piece's developmental trajectory and to see it on its feet someday!

An uber-theatrical delight that is epic in scope in both form and content; that explores, explodes, and refracts history; and that resonates outside of its historical context in the way is explores gender identity, gender performance, and sexuality. It also begins hilarious and has a surprisingly and seriously touching coda of a final scene. A feast, no doubt, for actors, designers, and directors alike.

A really unique, theatrical piece that explores cancer, mental illness, healing, medicine, and more in a way I haven't seen before! It captures the overwhelming nature, uncertainty, helplessness, and other complex feelings surrounding the disease. More interestingly, it does so with a combination of funny and potent two person scenes as well as more metatheatrical and abstract sequences. The final moment was gloriously unresolved and included a brilliant extended metaphor used or hinted at throughout the piece. So wonderful to read a play on this topic that entirely eschews sentiment or expected/familiar treatment of a cancer narrative.

This play is both heady and visceral...the best of both worlds. Such a uniquely executed, focused, and powerful exploration of so much: the commodification of women's bodies, old as time expectations about women and how those expectations manifest themselves today, the duality of sex work and the ways it both provides and can inhabit power and agency, the male fixation with the "virgin"/"whore" dichotomy, and so much more. The ending is particularly potent and poignant and the whole play provides the smartest insights into Titus Andronicus I've encountered!

A rich, nuanced two-hander that explores political divisions and the tribalism that infects and impacts political discourse today! Rather than simply presenting those thorny divisions onstage, claws and fangs bared, Romeo has so wisely chosen two people desperately in need of a nuanced discussion as well as this connection with each other. Because of that, the play so elegantly navigates both the emotional and logical aspects of political discussions, philosophy, and the current socio-political climate of the US. I "root" for and understand both characters and found the ending both satisfying and a rejection of pat, easy answers.

A beautiful play both intimate and epic in scope. In the Levi-Katz family and the holiday of Passover, we have a core nucleus to care about and track as Viterbi explores so many aspects of Judaism, Jewish identity/diaspora and the multitudes within. Highly theatrical but accessible...I hope to see this produced far and wide!

Beautiful, lyrical, historical fiction that both informs on its subject and resonates emotionally today. "Stockade" clearly paints a picture of a complex moment in time by illuminating the lives of a very specific but small constellation of people. I was amazed by its expansiveness and intimacy, as well as the way Andrew plays with potent, naturalistic scenes juxtaposed with more figurative theatrical tools. I would so love to see this on its feet!