Recommended by Joshua H. Cohen

I heard this play read on Zoom at the ATHE conference. It's a biting theater play in the vein of "The Actor's Nightmare," but this time focusing on those on the outside of the closed gates. The lead actress is tap dancing (without tap shoes) while playing most of her dialogue - I'd love to see that on stage!

It's astonishing how a thrill ride of a play can never leave a comatose man's bedside. It takes so many hairpin turns at top speed, but manages to stay firmly on the road and in control.

It's the end of the world. Do you take shelter... or do you take the opportunity to fix a past mistake? This is the question that Lam and Charles have tackled head-on in a moment of confusion. If, like me, you love historical counterfactuals, this one goes in a surprisingly tense direction.

Amanda Keating's time shifts between present-day scientists and their long-dead subject illuminate the universality of sex and discovery. I especially enjoyed the parallels of language out of place: two (presumably American) scientists in a German lab, and a medieval nun, all speaking in a natural vernacular as their own speech would sound to them.

I'm a fan of all of James Armstrong's work (full disclosure, he's my collaborator on three musicals), but this one is my favorite of his. A mindbender of a dark comedy, it achieves that elusive, heady point of being constantly surprising while simultaneously making perfect logical sense for its imperfectly illogical characters. A perfect fit for a theater company that likes its plays with edgy subject matter and elegant structure.

"Cam Girl" portrays three friends who can neither live in the world as it's constructed, nor break away from it; who have abundant love to give each other while each is incapable of receiving it. These struggles manifest themselves through the lens of sex work, drug use, and queer identity. The true greatness of this play is the high stakes it wrings out of the simple question of whether Kelsey will leave the house.

It starts as a clever joke, but that's just the beginning. A metaphysical meditation on the consequences of our social lies and fantasy selves, wrapped in snappy punchlines.

A beautiful slice of life between two people in need of a found family. The relaxed pace in the structure of a ten minute play allows enormous room for two strong actors to connect with each other and an audience.

A tender portrait of an older couple still very much in love would be refreshing enough in itself. But then when Adam guesses Paul’s news, it takes an even more heartbreaking turn.

A cri de coeur of well-earned righteous anger. A tour de force for a young actress, requiring a sustained emotional temperature that only builds.