Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

Two Autistic individuals whose lives are at crossroads for different reasons jibe, rib, annoy, aggravate, and finally console each other through a recent death, a property dispute, and being Autistic in an Allistic world. Jordan Elizabeth Henry gives two Autistic characters space to be themselves, and not allow them to be defined by their relationships to Allistic folks. With a hint of magical realism from an overhanging cocoon, this lovely play is a blessing to Autistic performers.

A brilliantly theatrical and bold reimagining of the Frankenstein mythos, this play uses the framework of Mary Shelley's tale to discuss body dysphoria from a non-binary perspective. Particularly creative are the different body parts who share elliptical memories of the humans they were formerly attached to. This play also makes you question one's relationship to their body, and the horrifying lengths we go to to find a body we feel comfortable in. Fantastic work that left me shooketh!

What starts as an alternative epic Western becomes a mystical and mythical dissection of trauma, capitalism, and the American culture’s relationship with violence. Stevens’s play incisively examines the potential for violence in all of us, even in a world without guns, while maintaining the buoyancy of a fable. With a colorful cast of characters and a brilliantly subversive plotline, “The Last Living Gun” exhilarates and charms one moment, then devastates and disturbs the next.

“People Should Talk About What’s Real” tackles issues of marriage, infertility, and bodily agency from the perspective of five diverse and complex characters. Also scintillating is the exploration of whom we’re comfortable sharing information with—an anonymous public, or our partners, who are supposed to know us best? A pandemic-era play that offers hope for a post-COVID world that sadly went sideways.

Where do I even begin with this marvelous play? As someone who doesn’t care one whit about Shakespeare, I found this play completely accessible (although the opening summary of “The Tempest” is useful). Stauffer skillfully and effortlessly employs iambic pentameter to depict the dynamics between the Gods. But as the play continues, it exceeds and expands space and form, becoming an interrogation of environmental theatre, the use of art, and what we do with people who continually need shelter.

I was lucky enough to see the world premiere of this play at Boomerang. Gina Femia has written an achingly true, screamingly funny, delicately awkward, and emotionally resonant depiction of queer adolescent pain and desire. Centering three very different teenage girls involved with a Catholic high school production of Romeo and Juliet, Femia’s play finds these young people facing the same pangs of longing that Shakespeare articulated centuries ago. Brilliant work! I loved it!

Contemporary online discourse has taken words such as “trauma” and “gaslighting” and applied so many situations to them that their fundamental meanings get lost. “The Activist” surgically and sharply examines how meaning and intent of the words we use impact our personal and professional lives. Several fantastic monologues here (the one about the meaning of “Beauty and the Beast” is particularly amusing) and an approach to the use of language that is both cautious and incisive.

Slithering seamlessly through time and space, this magical and moving memory play explores how ambition, failure, and the bonds of family can haunt one throughout their life. Both stunningly theatrical and emotionally resonant, this play maintains its magic by never forgetting the core relationship between Magician and Sister. I also appreciated learning about the sadly forgotten histories of female magicians and escape artists. The final pages of this play will live with me for a long time.

Small town bureaucracy, tyrannical hippos, and human-to-hippo transformation are the key components of this absurd political satire. Gonzalez brilliantly captures and sharply satirizes the verbal cartwheels and backflips of small town politics, the overthinking that impacts collective decision-making, and how bureaucratic protocol prevents action against a dangerous foe. The stage directions are a particularly witty treat, and the hippo itself presents a spectacular design challenge.

What a tense, rapid-fire, unhinged, darkly brilliant, and stunningly theatrical play! Behind the absurd and high-stakes scenario is a lacerating satire about what women put their bodies through in order to win. By the end, the audience is indicted as voyeurs of watching each finely-etched character put her health and well-being on the line for our entertainment. I cannot wait to see this play staged soon!