Recommended by Francesca Pazniokas

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    A darkly funny, devilishly charming play. I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE is a thoroughly enjoyable horror romp that also dives into an important exploration of society’s glorification of violence and fear of sexuality. Cleverly mixes spectacular visual elements with witty naturalistic dialogue, and features characters that actors will love sinking their teeth into.

    A darkly funny, devilishly charming play. I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE is a thoroughly enjoyable horror romp that also dives into an important exploration of society’s glorification of violence and fear of sexuality. Cleverly mixes spectacular visual elements with witty naturalistic dialogue, and features characters that actors will love sinking their teeth into.

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    A gorgeous piece about longing, grief, passion and patience, knitting back and forth across millennia. Poetic and piercing.

    A gorgeous piece about longing, grief, passion and patience, knitting back and forth across millennia. Poetic and piercing.

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    A few hours after reading Cook's play, I found myself missing her witty, charming, courageous characters as if they were dear friends. A true gem of a play. It should be widely produced, but until that happens (and I believe it will happen!) it's such a joy to read.

    A few hours after reading Cook's play, I found myself missing her witty, charming, courageous characters as if they were dear friends. A true gem of a play. It should be widely produced, but until that happens (and I believe it will happen!) it's such a joy to read.

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    "There’s no word in the English language...for a mother who has lost her child."

    "Black Hollow" is a play that grows more relevant by the day. A lesser playwright attempting to write about gun violence might become mired in melodrama. But Hemphill deftly avoids that trap, confidently weaving together the stories of these small town Americans by focusing on their shared humanity, rather than sensationalized trauma. What remains is a restrained, finely-crafted story about resilience and self-reflection in the face of tragedy.

    "There’s no word in the English language...for a mother who has lost her child."

    "Black Hollow" is a play that grows more relevant by the day. A lesser playwright attempting to write about gun violence might become mired in melodrama. But Hemphill deftly avoids that trap, confidently weaving together the stories of these small town Americans by focusing on their shared humanity, rather than sensationalized trauma. What remains is a restrained, finely-crafted story about resilience and self-reflection in the face of tragedy.

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    A commedia dell'arte masterclass for the modern world. "Infallibility" is a tour-de-force two-hander with a meta-theatrical twist. It may be set during the first millennium, but Barbot finds universal truths that resonate today. Heart-achingly human. This play has stuck with me. One of those plays that makes you wish you were an actor, just so you could perform in it.

    A commedia dell'arte masterclass for the modern world. "Infallibility" is a tour-de-force two-hander with a meta-theatrical twist. It may be set during the first millennium, but Barbot finds universal truths that resonate today. Heart-achingly human. This play has stuck with me. One of those plays that makes you wish you were an actor, just so you could perform in it.

  • Francesca Pazniokas: The Snakes Before Square One by Paul Vintner
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    This is one of my new favorite plays. Vintner mixes the richness of fable with the cold reality of modern life to create a piece that's both timely and timeless. I already want to read it again, and I've already read it twice!

    This is one of my new favorite plays. Vintner mixes the richness of fable with the cold reality of modern life to create a piece that's both timely and timeless. I already want to read it again, and I've already read it twice!

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  • Francesca Pazniokas: Speak of the Devil! by Paul Vintner
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    It's rare to see a large ensemble cast used so deftly in a one-act play -- and rarer still to see a sci-fi farce! Vintner's comedies are as sharp and zany as the best screwball comedies of the 1930s, but with a modern bite. In "Speak of the Devil!" he grounds the gleeful, mounting absurdity of the plot with salt-of-the-earth characters, keeping us engaged in every surrealist twist. Eminently producible for theaters with the biggest to the smallest budgets.

    It's rare to see a large ensemble cast used so deftly in a one-act play -- and rarer still to see a sci-fi farce! Vintner's comedies are as sharp and zany as the best screwball comedies of the 1930s, but with a modern bite. In "Speak of the Devil!" he grounds the gleeful, mounting absurdity of the plot with salt-of-the-earth characters, keeping us engaged in every surrealist twist. Eminently producible for theaters with the biggest to the smallest budgets.

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  • Francesca Pazniokas: Swallowed by Rachel Bublitz
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    Highest stakes I've ever encountered in a short play. Hits you from the first lines like a gale-force wind and doesn't let up. Bublitz shows us a desperate sacrifice that is terrifying and heartbreaking, but also beautiful in its purity. I'd love to see this staged.

    Highest stakes I've ever encountered in a short play. Hits you from the first lines like a gale-force wind and doesn't let up. Bublitz shows us a desperate sacrifice that is terrifying and heartbreaking, but also beautiful in its purity. I'd love to see this staged.

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  • Francesca Pazniokas: Man Boobs by C. Julian Jiménez
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    Entertaining and deeply affecting. Frankly, I shouldn’t have read this in public. First, I was struggling to contain my laughter...and then I was hit by a semi-truck of emotions, reexamining my own relationship to myself. “Man Boobs” is hilarious, heart-breaking and deeply human. And like the best theatrical experiences, it made me feel like I’ve changed as a person from the first moment to the last. Can't recommend it enough.

    Entertaining and deeply affecting. Frankly, I shouldn’t have read this in public. First, I was struggling to contain my laughter...and then I was hit by a semi-truck of emotions, reexamining my own relationship to myself. “Man Boobs” is hilarious, heart-breaking and deeply human. And like the best theatrical experiences, it made me feel like I’ve changed as a person from the first moment to the last. Can't recommend it enough.

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  • Francesca Pazniokas: Cricket Woman Mother Earth (or) A Nasty Comeuppance by Tiffany Antone
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    Never has a descent into apopcyptic hell been such a fun ride. This is the female-driven political horror play the world needs right now. Would love to see this produced.

    Never has a descent into apopcyptic hell been such a fun ride. This is the female-driven political horror play the world needs right now. Would love to see this produced.

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