Recommended by Rachael Carnes

Sharp and funny, exploring timely subjects with a delightfully acerbic wit, Berryman's contemporary conversation reveals layers of nuance and meaning. I saw the piece in the 2019 Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival, and the engaged audience was with the piece every step of the way.

A mystery unfolds in this darkly gothic period piece. Hodge’s cinematic narrative bends around corners, peeks into secrets. There’s a lovely pacing of the information reveal, reminding one of the dark novels of the era the play portrays. This one would offer lots of design elements to play with, through projection, sound, light. Imagistic, stylish -- yet irrefutably human.

A funny, farcical piece, with plenty of zigs and zags for actors to play with. Bright language and punchy rhythm would make this one a winner for any comedy festival.

What a fun monologue! Full of peaks and valleys, a perfect showcase for an actor's skills. I love the way Danley hovers around and through so many current topics, without ever seeming on-the-nose or maudlin. This fresh, lively short play would bring a dynamic new edge to any festival or audition.

It's wonderful to discover new facets of a writer whose work you admire, and this monologue explores a rich and challenging territory, with a character both compelling and repulsive. Martin's craft is so finely-tuned in this dynamic piece.

A stunning short play, bright and nuanced, Femia's work here sings with a delightful rhythm and musicality. I'm so drawn to the rich character development and the author's humor and humanity. A wonderful play addition for any festival, offering a goldmine for a creative team.

I read and participated in a workshop of this play at the 2019 Sewanee Writers' Conference. What strikes me about Lyons' work is the balance between source (Greek mythology) and contemporary narrative. This play's rich language works on so many levels, engagingly lyrical in one moment, and arrestingly matter of fact in the next. Lyons has a huge capacity for storytelling, and this reframing of the Persephone story is compelling and resonant. It evokes thoughtful conversation, and this artist should be on producers' radars.

Wry and compelling, Joseph's myth adaptation circles around several resonant themes in its tight pages, asking us how far we’ve come from the ancients, and in what ways contemporary society riffs on questions immemorial. A lively piece, with lots of room for a creative team to explore.

Koppen digs into history and finds *everything* in this prescient dialogue between Joan of Arc and "guy". A witty, tragic, brilliant play - Theatrical, yet intimate, and nuanced. A beautiful realization of the choices we make everyday, and how they impact our present and future.

With dialogue that leaps off the page, compelling - and hilarious - characters and situations, this play deftly explores how an intergeneration family lives their lives within the idea of America. A workshop at the Sewanee Writer's Conference resonated with the play's tremendous humor and heart. There are many layers here to explore, in a world full of specificity and universal appeal.