Recommended by Rachael Carnes

I love Lawing's work for just how human it is. From the jump, we're at the saddest moment — An ad-hoc funeral for a friend, cut down too soon, and humor bubbles up - as it often does at funerals or wakes - and gosh darn if these moments don't make me love these characters in an instant. Then, what they reveal, my heart. Lawing sets up the perfect serve and *thwack* — My mind is taken back in time and my emotions are with these men, so completely. By page 6: Tears. Then 7, PAGE EIGHT? Read it!!

If we don't know our history, we're doomed to repeat it, right? And here, Feeny-Williams reaches back into the vile miasma that descended, cult-like, on the 'good' leadership of Salem, MA, who of course didn't invent the idea that independent-minded women *must* be witches - they had 1,000 years of evidence to 'prove' it. Feeny-Williams' fabulously ferocious TABITHA captures these judge and executioners' misbegotten piety, like a cat pinning down a mouse's tail. If you hate being at the mercy of neoconservative politicians, you will LOVE seeing this young woman flip the script. Bring popcorn.

Sometimes the customer is NOT right. I've put in my time as a barista, and this play is balm for my weary shots-pulling soul. Andy tries! Andy really does everything humanly possible to make things okay for Janet. My grandmother used to say if you want to know how someone you're dating might treat you in a relationship down the road, watch how they interact with the people who serve them food and beverages... There's wisdom there, and there's wisdom baked into this cinnamon-swirled play, that offers a terrific vehicle for two actors.

Heartfelt and funny, Minigan's play deftly balances complex and interconnected familial emotions - a "group hallucination" - without being ham-fisted or maudlin. This is my favorite way to see and relate to drama, that is, within the confines of comedy. Smart, sharp dialogue and rich characterization bring this relatable family to life.

"Immortality is the sound of your name on the lips of someone who learned it from stories."

Wow! This is just one example of the deft wordsmithing in Kantor's prescient, dynamic exploration of Greek myth, in which the writer smartly centers Iphigenia - letting her self-advocate for a better history. The tête-à-tête with Achilles reverberates with the story of every woman ever, who was just as accomplished as any man, but didn't get credit.

College professors or High School teachers who tackle the Greek classics: Introduce your students to *this play* - out loud. You're welcome.

A deeply-felt play about the spaces and distance among all of us these days, as we navigate the pandemic, yet Mabey builds worlds underneath, supporting connection and understanding about so much more, inviting the audience to relate to this organic, evergreen expression of humanity. Simply brilliant.

Eppich-Harris digs into the fertile soil of these challenging times, and encourages a conversation at once cellular, and celestial. There's something about time playing tricks, how days eek by and whole years just disappear in the wash of emotional labor. Written in 2020, I would be so curious where this world-weary character has been since then. My hunch is that her clear voice would only sing louder.

I'm a big fan of theatrical adaptations, and when I heard that TJ had tackled Dumas' swashbuckling epic - one of my faves, that I just re-read - I *had* to seek out this play. What a treat! Not only does the play embrace one of the funnest (and most-improbable plots) in all literature, but in its delightful pages, we get a love song to theatre, which I imagine most of us miss something fierce. Young explores Dumas' thematic footholds and takes the audience on a fantastic adventure, digging into the eternal questions while creating pure joy. Merci beaucoup, TJ!

Y'know when you're drawn into a play just for the title? Yeah — That's me with this one! And St. Croix permits you to set it in your neck of the woods, too. The Portland Society of Supernatural Beings has a nice ring to it. What world building! This play constructs more depth in the zoom-o-sphere than I've seen, a rich tapestry, an uncanny history - there's cracking humor, one liners - but St Croix digs into meaning, too. Looks for questions — that may not have answers. A gem.

Teeming with hilarious visuals, clapping dialogue keeping us laughing, with quirky turns of phrase and delightful character timing - Matthew's done it again. Taken a famous fairy tale, and made it new and fresh and oh so much fun.