Recommended by Matt Barbot

A taut, timely dark comedy about the politics of defining what it means to be in control of your own body. Three larger than life roles for women, acidic humor, a little bit of horror, and themes that resonate in the current political climate make this play one to keep an eye on.

I don't know what I was expecting going into this play, but I was totally blown away by it. A deeply affecting look at the budding friendship of three young women as they begin the journey of self discovery that so often comes with college, and a look at the boundaries that friendship may not be able to cross. This play is vital, and it couldn't be more timely. DO THIS PLAY.

I had the pleasure of seeing this play produced a few years ago and it struck me even then as timely, provocative, and gripping on every level. Now, the world being what it is, this play seems even more urgent and timely. Five great roles for five powerhouse women, addressing the rage of the oppressed and the downtrodden.

It's hard to have words for this big, Brechtian historical epic. It's a powerful, deeply felt look at the struggles at the core of the country, of the meaning of genius and progress, of the utility of art and whether anyone can truly live up their ideals. That all sounds sweeping, but Boyd grounds these ideas in beautifully written characters lovingly shaped from history. (And the roles are diverse! Two of the leads are Latinx for Chrissakes!) I had the pleasure of seeing this play on its feet last night, and I hope to see it fully produced somewhere soon.

A timely play about the deepest reaches of the internet and the ways that alienated young people (let's face it, young *men*) are targeted online for recruitment into the ugliest humanity has to offer. Told with equal parts humor and pain, the play threads the difficult needle of shining a light on its subjects without letting them off the hook. And as the characters are swept into a full blown video-game quest, Hemphill explores the ways that digital spaces can help us be better, and transcend the limits and expectations of IRL.

Aeneas Hemphill turns the "Our Town" style quaint-American-town play on its head by examining a sadly very American problem: a mass shooting in a high school. Black Hollow examines the deep roots of violence in a community, and the way that violence incubates in our relationships and in our institutions. Furthermore, this play asks what's next? What hope, what path can we find forward? This is a timely play for a large cast - perfect for starting conversations.

A beautiful and unique depiction of a lifelong friendship. This play is a triumphant two-hander for two powerhouse women.

An over-the-top fairy tale with real heart and heartbreak. Sobler creates a world where no one is really who they say they are... or is it that what we say we are is all we have? A uniquely funny, poetic play with a lot of wonderful design opportunities.

Fitting that I thought of this play during the Thanksgiving season - in it, Sobler uses an apocalyptic backdrop that may as well be taking place tomorrow to examine the intersections of our politics and our identities, and to try to figure out just what makes a family a family, or a society a society.

A haunting, poetic play recounting the terrible events surrounding one of New York City's most devastating tragedies. Sobler's play dissects the American dream to see what makes it tick.