Recommended by Ali MacLean

Stark, touching, and funny all at the same time, this play explores how grief can break apart a family and also create new ones. Renata is grieving the recent loss of her husband, while Mallory the loss of her daughter who moved out long ago. The two of them come together and find they have more in common than the accident that brought them together. This play deftly balances recall of the gruesome accident, with beautifully drawn characters who, together, must move forward.

A hilarious satire roasting the self-important players in the world of advertising. Taking place on the set of a commercial shoot for an Italian restaurant, the characters are not only given fantastic lines to chew on, but also the space for physical comedy as well. This funny, well-written play is a delight to read and full of laughs, but could seriously make you re-think your commercial acting career.

Julian has crafted a wonderful sprawling family drama that tackles the toxic family tree by chopping off many branches. This family, full of unique and richly drawn characters, are gathered at the deathbed of a matriarch. They can't seem to accept one another - whether it be because of sexual orientation, social class, race, or the decision to reproduce. All of these topics are tackled with arch, quick-paced dialogue, and aching longing for understanding. Gorgeous.

This scary, smart play hooked me from the start, with its foreboding setting, hilariously drawn characters that aren't what they seem, and, well, I can't ruin what follows, but nothing GOOD ever happens in a run-down motel on Halloween. Yet in the second act, it shifts to an intellectual discussion about gay representation in horror cinema in Hollywood and how some minds just won't shift, unless perhaps they are forced to. Great play!

A timely classic tale of a witch trial which seems all too familiar even today where a community demonizes one of their own as being "other". Cunning women, land grabs, lecherous men, poisonous potions, and trial by hanging are all featured in this Colonial witch hunt. Great understanding of the period language and politics of the time and a direct parallel to how women and minorities face persecution today!

Told from a perspective largely unheard, this dynamic play imagines Monica as she is about to do a Ted Talk on her experiences, but then enters a fantasy world where Lewinsky is a superhero who battles sexism and predatory men. The fascinating play is not only informative (it doles out details from her side of the story that the public wasn't privy to) but it is a heart-wrenching look at how women are pitted against each other. You want her to exact revenge but also move on and not let this event stunt her entire life.

Yockey specializes in complicated mother/son relationships who are often separated by death and the supernatural. This play is a thriller with some twists and some brutal consequences.