Recommended by Lainie Vansant

Carter perfectly captures what it was like to be fifteen at the beginning of the Internet age. Her referenes are specific and real, and the play overall is a truly sweet story about teenagers who would (for the most part) hate being called sweet. If you loved Tamora Pierce or had to wait for someone to hang up the phone to use the internet, read this play!

One of Hageman's many strengths is hiding the thing that is really bothering her characters and letting the audience piece it together as they go. "In Dreams" certainly makes use of this strength and is sure to be a piece that the audience muddles over and wonders about at the end of the show. It is beautiful and dream-like in its construction as well, and should certainly be read, produced, and enjoyed!

This play is beautiful and engaging from beginning to end. The characters' backgrounds are rich and deep, and Femia reveals their stories in little slices that leave the reader hungry for more. The characters are engaging, the questions are big, and the play in general is going to haunt me for a while. Someone get this script a production, STAT!

This tiny play gives its primary actress a lot to work with - a physical struggle, visceral language, and a moment of discovery (which she's clearly been stewing on for a while). Carnes does a great job packing a lot into this moment without making it feel heavy-handed. Check it out!

Viterbi's work is always delightfully specific, and that remains true with this story about adults finally coming-of-age, or not. This piece is layered with hippie musical references contrasted with Jewish theological tradition which is fascinating to read and I'm sure would be beautiful to see.

Rose's use of sound to texture this creepy little radio play layers the mystery on nicely and would surely draw the listener in. Radio opps out there, check this one out!

An intriguing, theatrical, intimate look into surrogacy - not just the sweet, inspirational parts of giving life, but the messy, complicated, and sometimes bloody process of a pregnancy between two women. I learned a lot, and it's worth the reads, productions, scene work, all of it!

The joy in this very sad play is in discovering the little bits and pieces of Karen's life (and death) as you go. This would be an impressive enough feat, but Abley has also achieved it all in monologues, making this piece delightfully and eerily theatrical. I also love that the monologues here aren't saccharine memories of someone who is remembered as better than they are - they feel very real and nuanced. Also, I hadn't heard the fairy tale of the Red Shoes before - look it up. It's crazy-pants.

Mabel is a character you love to root for. She's smart and powerful, but she's also human. I also love that this woman asks a young woman to perform a character worth looking up to! Produce it!

Quite the interesting play about how climate change deniers manipulate data and people into doing what they want; I definitely learned a few new things in this read!