Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

A beautiful, life-affirming play that, while for all ages, is not afraid to deal with subjects such as mental illness and self-doubt. The story subverts and challenges the "Chosen One" trope common in much YA sci-fi and uses it to make a larger point about how we collectively contribute to humanity. I can imagine directors, actors, and designers having a blast with this piece.

Challenging, though-provoking, and disturbing, "Rattler" takes an incisive look at a rape culture narrative we often miss: The mothers of the perpetrators. Jen's journey in realizing the darkness her Golden Boy child is capable of is compelling, and her character is complex and well-drawn. However, what really puts the audience between sympathy and disgust is the other women Jen meets in the play, who extol the virtues of the men in their lives regardless of their crimes. "Rattler" may make you uncomfortable, but it will also make you rethink a necessary conversation America has been having.

This is the play we should all be reading right now. With beautifully poetic writing that never feels forced, Suilebhan gently (yet intelligently) challenges the audience's beliefs and whether they are worth holding onto. Drawing from history, science, and literature, "Transmission" is about what we choose to pass onto each other, and whether we have any say in the matter. The section about the pandemic in particular is disturbingly relevant now. Beautiful play that, to repeat myself, we should all be reading now.

What a delightfully amusing and touching short play! In providing a hilarious set-up (a library acting more like a bar), Gill explores the way literature (and a good, stiff drink) can effect us in times of struggle. Breezy and dialogue ensues that the play moves at a fast clip.

A brief, yet brutally honest piece about fatherhood and its difficulties. Gonzalez has created a singular character who is haunted by his own father's abandonment and considers following in his footsteps. A beautifully written shot to the heart.

Rosenberg provides a frighteningly relevant scenario, but her play effortlessly breathes with life and humanity. Rosenberg examines a basic part of women's biology with care and compassion and flexibility, allowing women of all ages and gender identities a say in the conversation. She also breathes so much life into her characters and their relationships and their dialogue that the play never feels didactic. Challenging yet accessible, this is an important play for everyone to see. PLEASE read this play!

A literal and figurative ghost story, "Tall Tales" is a haunting and human play that explores our relationships to the places we grew up in and how they impact our past, present, and future. With a compelling cast of characters and some scenes that are downright horrifying, this play is a great example of theatrical Southern Gothic, with its themes of religion, guilt, bigotry, sexuality, and love (and queer characters to boot!). Check this piece out!

This fantastically theatrical, unabashedly queer, and epic play is bold in every sense of the word. In this condemnation of gay conversion therapy, J. Julian Christopher takes elements from classical queer theatre such as Mart Crowley's "The Boys in the Band" and updates/subverts the types found in plays such as that to explore gender identity, masculinity, mythology, colonialism, and homophobia, among other themes. He executes this in a way that may be shocking, but is also thought-provoking and magical. This is a play that gives us hope for a better world, where self-love will rule all. Read this play!

An unabashedly epic and poignant story of two young boys who find solace in each other as the countries they live in rush towards self-destruction. Sickles encompasses many themes in this play, but the one he explores the most astutely is the beauty we find in times of oppression. The letters that Teddy and Anzor write to each other are beautiful to read-- the one about the squid particularly excited me with its theatricality. Throughout, you wait for the moment when Teddy and Anzor will meet face-to-face, and when they don't... well, there are two more plays!

When an unexpected breakup happens, a choice has to be made: To stay friends or not? In this monologue, it's not just about remaining friends. It's also about trust, and sex, and companionship, and self-doubt. Is it possible to remain friends when all those other factors will inevitably play into the relationship? Deray probes these questions with unflinching honesty and depth and courage.