Recommended by Rachael Carnes

This is lovely. The lushness of the writing juxtaposes with a simplicity that hit me right at the back of my spine. That's what stories - no, specifically nursery rhymes - can do. There's a promise inherent, and a question that might not have the answer we expected, or wanted. Within the spaces created by DeFrates' world, these subtle, imaginative, otherworldly dynamics can play.

I remember when my son was little and he'd have a gift certificate to use at a big box store or toy store, and off we'd go to "choose" from options that fell entrenched into powerful gender norms. This smart, relatable play digs into the onslaught of those 360-surrounds that enforce expectations and adherence to societal constructs. Read and produce this play TODAY.

How do we make the hardest, most cruel moments in life, safe, or safer, for children? Plumridge's heartbreaking monologue trains light on our stalwart, inanimate friends, who may witness, and help us through. A lovely, evocative piece. Looking forward to finding the audio play version...

I remember reading somewhere that painters in La Belle Epoque used to give each other paintings as gifts, or maybe to settle poker bets. In any case, the vibe is similar among playwrights on NPX, and among us, Matthew Weaver's a legend of recommendations. Though I *feel* like I should know him - we've shared billings allOVER the place - I have never actually met Washington State's Favorite Son. Yet here I am, horning in on Prillaman's Ode to Matthew to wax poetic about the PacNW bard, myself! Matthew, the world loves you. Print Daniel's play and frame it!

MORE PLAYS ABOUT SQUIRRELS, PLEASE. Is it too much to ask?? Lawing's hilarious rodent-rich world skitters with mischievous energy as these three devil-may-care daredevils make hay in an unsuspecting backyard. It makes me nostalgic for peak (low?) Covid isolation when I got a little too attached to the birds at my feeder(s).

Producers: Please create a short play festival about woodland creatures. Thank you.

The last message sent by Mars rover Opportunity (2004-2018) was "My battery is low and it's getting dark." An existential poem that launched a mournful response. Why does what we make become so infused with the dreams (and hauntings) of the maker? Bultrowicz digs into questions about AI with philosophical nerve, a steady structural hand, and great humor. I'm a superfan of Bultrowicz's 'Two Timing Loaf of Bread' for its sharp, wry humor and dazzling weirdness. This play holds a candle to one of my faves. I'd love to see this onstage!

In form and function, Eddy's '10 Billion' explores the online video conferencing platform as theatre format in remarkable dimensionality, infusing the inherent flatness, sometimes stuckness, of the zoom-o-sphere with a time-hopping dopamine rush. Eddy's piece drills into deep pockets of memory, and in confident swoops, takes us into the crisis when old wounds meet the new. Just stunning. As a piece of literature, a tone poem, a cozy, experimental hug. Thanks, NPX, for the 'featured writer' on the homepage, and introducing me to Eddy's work. I'll check out more plays, soon.

Genuine, heartfelt exploration of unspeakable loss. Fictional tropes around child loss rarely if ever center LGBTQ stories (why?) and Donnelly is re-centering the narrative towards normalizing inclusive depictions of instrumental and intuitive grieving, which - in the throes of relentless pain - can spin and turn on a dime. That's a universal.

A play that addresses consent and climate change — With pandas — is the play for me. Dietsch's smart dialogue crackles as a story unfolds that would be magnetic, and heartbreaking, onstage.

This is a delight! Kantor's bright dialogue sails through sticky topics with veracity and ferocious glee. Oh! How much I want this play in educational settings as a place to begin conversations. A perfect playground for actors and directors, with places for invention at every dynamic angle. Brilliant!