Recommended by Rachael Carnes

A monologue with the perfect blend of lyric and rhythm, an ode to a person, and a place. Plummer's craft is exhibited here in her poetry and in the soothing comfort of what's not said, underneath.

In this intensely believable fantasia, a young girl returns from the dead to reconnect with the person that accidentally shot her. It's a supernatural set-up that's fueled by all-too familiar scenarios. Young Cera's a spunky 12-year-old, wise and funny, which makes her lot all the more heartbreaking. Centering, as it does, on the inherent loving wisdom of children, children who are at the mercy of gun violence every day, this play would be an emotional heart in any short play festival, training hearts and minds on the grayest areas, and finding light.

This delightful piece explores the very real possibility that our faded relationships live among each other in an assisted living center... in Canada. Makes sense to me! Bavoso packs this scene with farcical architecture, coaxing the audience not only to accept this wacky new world, but to move forward with the hilarious and harrowing concept that our minds are populated with characters that *spoiler alert* we've put there. Lovely possibilities here for two comedic actors.

Gonzalez captures the heightened realism of the tension that grows, creeping into a relationship like a miasma, engulfing the space, using up all available oxygen. There's a brittle, tense battle going on here, and with each page, the stakes go higher. It's the perfect blend of inanity and combat. This piece would give any two actors an incredible arsenal and would be thrilling onstage. And since Gonzalez is such a uniquely capable writer, simmering below the explosions are deep commentary about so many current questions. This piece will stay with me for a long time.

What do we bring with us, and what do we leave behind? How do we divide our memories and store them for the future? Do we stuff our experiences into boxes with labels or do we live with uncertainty and a willingness to hope? Middleton invites us to find ourselves in this seemingly innocuous moment, a moment of heightened discovery and truth.

Haven't we all been there? Turning yourself inside out to try to respond to the increasingly tense and probing questions in an interview? Middleton does a phenomenal job capturing the desperation of the would-be employee and the cringe-worthy and hilarious boss. This gem was a hit at the 2018 Midwest Dramatists Center Conference.

Salsbury's work in this play is so taut, so economizing. One thing I notice throughout her plays, is this incredibly well-developed sense of place. We are right there, though we might not want to be. This is the kind of play that cages the audience. Brings you in close, and holds you tight. Now that I'm done reading, I might start breathing again.

This is awesome. Takes us right to a unique place and time, gives us enough of the world to make things seem possible and then the play just explodes with exciting pressure, playing in the waves between mythology and sitcom. I am a huge fan of Koivisto's writing style. Her brain clearly whirring at a high velocity, her creativity just uncharted. I am so happy that she's uploaded a bunch of new plays. This writer has such a clear voice and versatility. Can't wait to read more!

Oh my goodness, I love this play! Fresh and irreverent, funny as all get out, and just as relevant today as it would be in 1580. This is how to do historical drama. Make it connect to the present moment, infuse it with humor and pushback, as these four Marys, left to their own for just a moment, rail against the rigidity of their social hierarchy. This is my favorite Lawing play yet! If you haven't read or produced this writer's work, you should!

Atmospheric and lyrical, Cooper-Novack's play invites a close reading, as the characters envelope you in this layered mystery/thriller. Tense yet poetic, there's a dance-like quality to the words, as both women face off, armed with clear objectives, that may or may not be fulfilled. This play takes the concept of writing women back into history in such an intriguing and contemporary direction, asking how those living in the ancient past might react and relate to the now.