Recommended by Rachael Carnes

I'm officially joining the Ian Thal Playwright Fan Club. I'm laughing, wiping away tears from laughing, and I'm wondering how Thal can ever top this wondrous creation?? Only way to find out is to keep reading everything by this talented, fearless and funny artist.

“Everyone wants a community garden, but no one wants to build it.” - in this crystalline moment, Bublitz reveals her uncanny knack for developing balanced, believable characters through rhythmically charged pacing and aching reveals. Her plays are prismatic, allowing us to see many personalities and perspectives, while moving forward in understanding a little more about ourselves and human nature. There’s an imagistic, almost cinematic quality to this piece, that says so much about where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Thank goodness for Johnny Rivers, who not only provided blessed Election Day relief for this grateful reader, but reminds us — In Wyndham's capable and creative hands — That kids are the future. Johnny Rivers isn't sad and hangdog, no — he's on point, dishing out Election Day witticisms and reminding us all why voting is a privilege. Recommended diversion from chewing your fingernails and pacing! Thank you, Asher!

This play offers a trio of performers great opportunities to create a whole world and then - break it. Clever and fast-paced, this piece is like a tightly woven mystery and Triplett hands down just the right amount of info to keep us on the edge of our seats. What fun this would be to see onstage!

This brilliant monologue takes us on a journey through a range of emotions and across the unforgiving and unfamiliar terrain of the forests for the Pacific Northwest. Sickles employs great pacing and imagery - giving us just enough time and information for our brains to knit together all the horrific details, until we’re transported to the next fresh new terror. No spoilers, but crackerjack ending. This piece would be such fun to act in and direct. Great opportunities for sound design, too.

As Stoppard immortalized Ada Lovelace in 'Arcadia', so August creates an indelible character in Mary Anning. But August does one better - imbuing this remarkable story with tremendous empathy for this young protagonist, giving her intelligence, wit and fight, as she stands at the center of some of the most wonderful characters I've read, within theatrical bounds that can only stoke the imagination. But this is not a purely historical play - instead, with humor and ease, August's work grapples with questions both topical and timeless. This play, one of four presented at the 2018 ANPF, is simply stunning. Wow.

This gem by Kevin King is almost TOO real. With funny and engaging characters, a wildly compelling plot and dialogue that kept me laughing and cringing -- yup, this play has the secret sauce. Satire is not easy , but King makes it look like no sweat! Can't wait to read more work by this writer.

Like an anthropomorphic Waiting for Godot, Rose's witty setup shows us into the romantic scene between two butterfly specimens at the mercy of Gerald, a scientific voyeur on their ill fated love. Great physical performance possibilities abound in this engaging story.

A tender, mournful mystery. When a silent stranger appears in the cozy home of a grieving Irish family, we’re immersed in a centuries-old tale, spun to explain that which can never be understood. Kelly’s language creates a timeless quality, with tremendous performance opportunity for the female actor in the leading role. She says everything, without ever uttering a word,

A mournful and resonant meditation on power and its abuses. Stubbles finds powerful theatrical transitions to voice past, present and... future.