Recommended by Rachael Carnes

An evocative piece, exploring the edges of knowing, of imagination, a sensory investigation – sight, sounds, tastes — of refuge and being a refugee. Cowley has built a delicate world here, one that invites listening, reflection and even laughter. I can see so many possibilities for a creative team in this beautiful dialogue and imagery.

Women can be so mean. And O’Neill-Butler goes right into their training ground, where body-shaming behaviors are born. Naturalistic, compelling dialogue hisses, punctuated with breathtaking images, the kind of descriptions that sear their way into the listener, should she overhear it. A smart, engaging conversation.

What a delightful play! Seinuk bobs and weaves around all kinds of ideas, bringing out conversations in so many areas - from commercialism to relationships to the holidays - and it all flows so easily, with relatable, sympathetic characters and dialogue that pops off the page. This is a fun one, with heart and meaningful subtext. Well done!

Poet W.H. Auden wrestles with an external persona and roiling internal questions, in this gripping monologue that finds the angles between the writer and mathematician Alan Turing. What is creativity? What is belonging? What does it mean, when a society benefits from, but can't accept one of its own? Or a whole group of people? Aronovitch voices an irreconcilability: Our near daily conversation with ignorance, cruelty and their offspring, against a backdrop of hope and beauty. Offers great ammunition for a strong actor here, and a thought-provoking work for plays on themes of science, art, history and gay rights.

What a stunning short play! Adams always impresses with her language – characters with clear, consistent voice – and this play is no exception. There’s a mystery here, evoked and visceral. It’s cinematic, piquing curiosity and bringing us in close until we want to look away, but we can’t. It’s pretty amazing what the writer packs into just ten pages! A haunting, beautiful piece of work. I would love to see this fully-realized onstage.

A delicate and taut conversation, tense, and deeply real. Where is the intersection between ambition and safety? Vansant explores a tough subject from multiple perspectives, with dialogue that feels at once nuanced and effortless.

Funny and charming — Such a clever idea! I really appreciate the physical set-up, and the way Donnelly invites us into what could be some delicate places of conversation, with such bold humor and heart. How can you not love everybody? This energetic four-hander would be a delight to see onstage.

There's so much to admire in this comedy — A deep, rich exploration. Laughs *and* ethics? I am 100% here for this. Would love to see this onstage.

Poetical, imaginative — And utterly devastating. Goldman-Sherman's rhythmic drive in this story, shooting an arc forward and back, placing us, caging us, in this emotional place for the journey, brings new clarity to a challenging subject, new context, new questions. This play rewards the reader with its nuances and dynamic shifts, bending space and time and defying expectations. Brava.

Dropping us down hard into a stagnant relationship, one that forces external shifts and internal conversation, this taut, tense two-hander explores a dynamic tug, between growing and staying stuck. Why this moment? Why not wait for time's passing? Ottinger makes it clear, through these challenging characters' wants and needs: It's now or never.