Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

A compelling slow-burn that steadily builds to a harrowing climax that pays off brilliantly. It slowly draws you in and then, before you know it, has grabbed you so hard that you can't stop reading. The dialogue is spot-on and the characters are completely engaging, especially Karen, who is one of the most frightening depictions of a pro-lifer that I've read in a long time. Not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended nonetheless!

A very unique, deeply personal examination of one mother's grief in the midst of unspeakable tragedy. Powerful message of learning to confront our grief, even in the face of injustice. Quick, but powerful read. Check it out!

With "Balls," Hageman manages to expose numerous facets of how poorly women are treating in modern-day society using startling wit and economy (only four pages!). The metaphor she uses with the tape is brilliant, and pays off extraordinarily. Check this play out!

Even as someone who is not much of an animal person, this play made me bawl when I saw it at the Midwest Dramatists Conference last year. Adams has crafted a gorgeous, simple, quiet, yet heartbreaking story about where we go after we die, and whom we meet upon our arrival in the next world. Delicately plotted and tightly structured, "Old Girl" subverts expectations and shatters your heart with the force of a grenade. Read this play.

A brief, yet powerfully unsentimental short play that asks whether the sins of the past can really be covered up, literally and figuratively. Salisbury is uncompromising in her approach to this question while giving equal voice to two opposite ends of a racial, social, and economic divide. It also speculates a future that has shifted power dynamics, but refuses to forget the devastation of past bigotry. Well done!

I was fortunate enough to see this play read at the Kennedy Center. Creative, passionate, engaging, devastating, and beautiful exploration of love and violence. You can’t help but get swept up in the fantastical world of these characters and their stories. I hope to see this play onstage one day soon.

Class, ableism, and the human desire to be seen all play a part in this beautifully-written and super-compelling play. The story follows two equally involving narratives-- one about an overworked Princeton graduate who cares for a wealthy graduate student, and the other about a man caring for his wife in the wake of a debilitating accident. The dialogue flows musically, and you root for these people to connect with one another. Two fantastic roles for disables actors a plus, too. Highly recommended.

Stoppardian in its convoluted-ness (and I mean that in the best way possible), this play is a highly amusing satire of... well, excessive exposition, stereotypical characters, and cliches. Fun to a fault, actors and audiences should have a blast with this comedy.

A lot of great and relevant themes are explored in this highly theatrical and deeply disturbing piece: Sexual assault, trauma, the dichotomy of fantasy and reality, etc. The dialogue flows along beautifully, and gives enough hints at what the final reveal to be to keep you reading. It’s also incredibly bold in its discussion of sexual assault of not only women, but men too. Designers will have a field day with this play, and I would be intrigued to see it come to life onstage.

The play starts as a warm and funny story of a teenage girl adjusting to a new life after being suddenly uprooted. But two-thirds of the way through, it takes a surprising and devastating turn, becoming a beautiful meditation on the importance of passing on our, and others’, stories. With a masterfully handled tonal shift and the right balance of humor and pathos, Hageman’s play takes you on a brief, but intensely emotional journey about finding light in a confused and confusing world. Check it out!