Recommended by Rachael Carnes

Crafted on a foundation that meets and exceeds all structural expectations, this play quickly transcends to a higher plane, where the most beautiful, lyrical ideas can coexist within abjectly base emotion: Fear, envy, loss. Minigan mines the inventory of these three richly-hewed characters for their depth, humor and all-too human flaws. A simply stunning play, existing at the intersection between despair and hope.

The human pace in this beautiful conversation is what I love most about it. There's space, around these two characters, space between each other, stretching back to the past - and a kind of distance that O'Neill-Butler develops with a delicate brush stroke. This play's energy in smooth, its relationship developing in a liminal space where a connection will be made, or lost. In a sense, the ferry ride that these characters are on, takes them to a place where they have a chance to grow. A thoughtful, connective play about loss, and living. Just beautifully done.

Absolutely hilarious, a richly detailed fantasy world replete with video game rules governing the play. Carter always impresses with her command of rhythm and the sizzling comedy that delights throughout. This is *clearly* the funnest script for actors to engage with, and whether adults, or younger - high school or middle school - they would dig the heck out of this fun play with a welcoming message of team work and determination. A bright spot in this challenging world! Give it a read and just enjoy some first rate writing.

A tour-de-force confrontation of sexual assault and the culture that allows it to exist. Powerful, visceral and smart as hell, this play walks the jagged, uphill path towards self-acceptance and healing. Do our traumas destroy us, or do they become the armor we wear?

A harrowing conversation about fear - and what happens when we refuse to ignore it, in this dialogue about storm preparedness for a husband and wife facing uncertainties. A reading at the Midwestern Dramatist Center evoked relatable discussion about the state of our world.

I'd read this play a year ago, and was taken with its honesty and fresh humor. And to hear the play at the Midwestern Dramatist Center brought in whole new meaning in this contemporary conversation about career, creative potential and the masks we wear. A delightful piece with plenty of depth.

A pitch-perfect examination of art consumed by ego. King's dialogue crackles with topical references, and asks important questions underneath layers of humor. I heard a reading of the play at the Midwestern Dramatists Center conference and it sparked a great discussion.

A complex conversation on intersectional feminism cached within a comedy with unexpected bite. I heard a reading at the Midwestern Dramatist Center conference that invited a lively and thought provoking response from the audience.

Like "Downton Abbey" on acid, this wonderfully rich little world is a pure delight. Chock full of nutty characters, with cracking dialogue and a bonkers steampunk vibe, Adams' hilarious new play was a huge hit with the audience at the Midwestern Dramatists Center conference.

A multidimensional dialogue, pitting white, faith-based evangelical idolatry against a rational perspective, amplified by a young person of color. I heard an intriguing staged reading of the play at the Midwestern Dramatist Center conference and was taken with its broken fourth wall and challenging dialectic about contemporary concerns.