Recommended by Rachael Carnes

I'm always here for intergenerational quarrels and this one's a beaut. Vansant sets us up at a Baby Shower, the perfect place to wind up tensions around all sorts of social expectations, with added pregnancy hormones just to up the ante. The playwright covers a lot of territory in these tight pages, asking plenty of relevant questions, through that powerful political tool: Laughter.

This is just delightful. Witty and razor-sharp, Kaplan's two-hander digs below the surface of holiday commercialism to explore the meaning of art and artists in our society. Not so much a Christmas play, as an ode to the beautiful "outsiders" who were photographer Arbus's most famous and favorite subjects. This would be a great addition to a line-up of 365 Women a Year plays.

This remarkable play dips and weaves in and out of time and place, exploring powerful themes — Creativity, Jealousy, Gender and more — as if the text is an aperture that can widen and narrow the lens, from the most human, most fine-grained moment to the grandest, most vivid and visceral spectacle. Timely and provocative, this piece has so much ammunition for two characters, who are both detailed and developed, engaging and tragic. As a reader, I'm taken by the work's unflinching portrayal of dysfunction and, ultimately, the light and lift they give to artist Ana Mendieta. Highly recommend.

This chilling play sent some serious shivers down my spine as I drank my morning coffee. Tacon creates terrific atmosphere, with a simple setting and some clear visual and physical cues. The characters' dialogue is fluid and gripping, and both tug at each other with intentions that shift and morph, which I really like. She is more complex, more mysterious, and he has great emotional range, as they explore a deeper subtext about societal expectations. I can see this as a great addition to horror/ghost/Halloween festivals. A refreshing break from the holidays. Boo!

This play drew me in and wouldn't let go. At first, we might feel like we've wandered into something familiar, a setting out of Inge - then - steep angles and drop offs and we're racing to find out what happened and what happens. We're in this space where the writer takes daring leaps, disorganizing and then reintegrating what we think we know. No spoilers. But this work touches, ultimately, on themes that are prevalent and yet barely spoken about, even now. I look forward to reading more of Gross's work, and learned so much about *myself* in reading this.

Heck yeah, this is a gorgeous ten-minute play! No wonder it's so produced. Mullen has built great characters, a perfect moment and a wise, wide and relevant conversation. This play would anchor any festival with its intelligence and heart.

A wonder to behold! Hilarious and sharp, Gonzalez’s work here seems effortless, even though this zany piece is masterfully crafted, from its airtight dramaturgy to its amusing - yes, amusing - formatting. If you’re weary of theatrical sameness, read THIS and bask in the boundless possibilities zipping around in this uniquely fun play. Gonzalez has big, bold ideas, and the chops to get them on the page.

"Have, not got." - this space between what is supposed to be, and what is, is explored with deep intelligence and a well of emotions in this unique and resonant play. Hackler's story spans decades and sets us up to see the broken and the beautiful in these characters, whose richly-detailed world shifts and bends under the weight of memory. A wonderful work, with strong roles for women. No wonder this play's so highly regarded. With its time machine leaps, this would be a rewarding and exciting challenge for a creative team. I would love to see this onstage.

Krost has built a brilliant world here, for a family at loose ends to rattle around in, slinging barbs at each other, re-hashing the past, exposing vulnerabilities and not *quite* figuring out how to be there for each other in the present. This is spit-take funny, Krost has a great wit and pitch perfect rhythm, but it's also real and relevant, a crash of cultures and religions, a big, bubbly soup of wants and needs. This full-length play reads so fluidly, with compelling energy and dynamic language throughout. It would be a blast to see onstage.

I am here for Holiday plays without the saccharine, and Plummer's funny romp fits the bill nicely. Plenty of back and forth as the plot leaps in unexpected (and hilarious) new directions. This one would keep audiences for a holiday festival on their toes - and actors entertained as they play all the angles. Great fun!