Recommended by Rachael Carnes

Awwwwww I love this. Only in Hageman's capable hands could something as broad as a Bigfoot play expose the nuances of father-son dynamics, with all the heart and humanness we've come to expect from her work. Crisp, funny dialogue, and a deep emotional well. This play is a warm, cryptid-inspired hug, as a dad and son stalk the Legend, and their own elusive sense of understanding one another.

I read this little gem with a giant smile on my face. What a world Sickles has created here! Oh, rapturous occlusion of tropes! Ah, melodious crashing of characters. This might be most most favorite run of stage directions *ever recorded in human history* - it's like Sickles thought, "Gosh, what can I write that will give Rachael a much-needed lift this Monday morning et VOILA. To call it a mere play does it a disservice. It's something bigger, a dance opera? An epic rolling cart of weirdness? Whatever it is, WHEN CAN I SEE IT PRODUCED? Thank you, Scott.

Goldman-Sherman enlivens the conversation about climate change and environmental extinction through the lens of a ballet-dancing sauropod. It's a brilliant means to draw empathy towards the plight of survival, yours, mine, every living thing. This tight, funny, relatable, heartbreaking piece trains a light on what we're losing: Not simply habitat, not only diversity, but our capacity to be fully ourselves. As we see the effects of climate change and its wake, we realize, we don't have the spaciousness to dance or dream if we have to focus only on survival. Brilliant.

A whip-smart, deeply-felt rail against systemic racism, spanning decades and shining the brightest light on one of America's darkest historical chapters, linking the Chinese Exclusion Act to now, and the future. Toy Johnson's characters pull us in effortlessly, ask for empathy, in this beautifully-crafted triptych. As we reckon with a heartbreaking rise in hate crimes against our AAPI communities, we need a play like this to ring through, a clarion call for justice.

Funny and charming, 'til the steel trap closes - This tight new full-length peeks into the weird and wonderful world of BigFoot science, exploring the mossy northwest with a scientific eye and powerful heart. Lots of trailblazing and switchbacks keep the conflicts coming and the pace high. Surprising, unsettling, satisfying. Like a walk in the woods, where you get lost enough to feel it.

Theatrical, entertaining and bitingly satirical, this piece asks compelling questions in a high-stakes way. Tedford Kendall's bracing dialogue and this looming tree gives us enormous imagery to grapple with, as challenging as American history itself.

Cole encapsulates so much about the pressures of parenthood, its relentless internal energies, and the power of the outside world to create competition. Dynamic roles for three women gave a creative team in the Whiskey Theatre Factory performance such great room to explore. Recommended for your short festival about women and women's issues.

A deeply felt requiem for nature. Theatrical and sharp, Martineau's language draws the listener into what seems like an everyday moment, that holds a mystery, and a future. Poignant and all-too prescient, with lush criss-crossing dynamics that will give a creative team tremendous room to explore.

Bwahaha! So funny! Any parent will totally resonate with this. Heck, so will *anybody* forced to share their space for a year of quarantine. I am 100% here for a Fractured Fairy Tale, and this one's a beaut.

Honest and hilarious, this delightful play plumbs a friendship for the edges of self/other with humor, good nature and awe. Lamedman hits all the right notes, revealing truths and finding connections, even here and now. A lovely production with Oregon Contemporary Theatre highlights the rich characterization and story-building.