Recommended by Andrew Siañez-De La O

Centered around a queer family living in the first Martian colony, The Earth Room provides a critical look at what makes us human as the traumatized generation of post-collapse Earthlings come to a head with the first generation of young Martians struggling to find ways to define themselves. Buckley takes great care to realize a world-to-be, one filled with questions about grief, simulations, extreme sports, and homes that learn alongside you, all culminating in a powerful reminder of the importance of family, earthbound or not.

Music is a powerful outlet. The right song can lift you up one second and tear you down the next and Candle’s Out is no different. Cook creates a world where Candle’s Out, a punk rock break up song, is personified on stage as The Song, a pivotal character in the lives of all those on stage. Earworm is a play where it's The Song who gets to describe the lives she has affected and reminds audiences the role music, which can be both cathartic and chaotic, can have a lasting impact on our lives.

Focusing on the strained relationship between a mother and her closeted son, Alberdi’s play is packed with Mexican tradition, Catholic guilt, and good (albeit misguided) intentions. Capitalizing on the comedic stylization of telenovelas, the world of ¡ MAMÁGUA ! is one where el Cucuy appears in drag as the Virgin Mary and Diosito themself walks out of the fridge to chastise both the actors and the audience. Alberdi’s play is a hilarious, impulse driven comedy that left me wondering the lengths to which I would go to help a loved one find salvation.

This play doesn’t hold back. Bringing to life an often-overlooked community, Redman’s play is made entirely of sharp words and harsh realities. Hit the Pavement or, Hoboloboactive is a play about surviving on the streets, trusting no one, and making the hard decision to protect yourself or the ones you love. Redman’s play does not compromise in its mission to teach its audiences a lesson in sacrifice and the fault in being a passive observer.

In the playwright’s own words, “this is not your grandma’s heaven.” Daughter of God presents audiences with a heaven more akin to our own world than one might imagine. It’s filled with broken hierarchical systems, punny cocktails, and a holy daughter kept secret from humanity. Jovanovich writes a heaven that is having to face the consequences of its decisions and, with a strong female lead at the center, must come to terms with the long held belief that God can do no wrong.

Maintaining a delicate balance of survival and hope, A Land of Plenty transports audiences to the American West during a time of great risk and loss. While telling the story of the Donner Party as they make their way to California, Smith’s play goes beyond these real life characters and provides a lived in world with real stakes. A Land of Plenty is a play about not only the sacrifices we make for our loved ones, but also the ways the American Dream can cost us everything we hold dear.