Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

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!

This fascinating play probes the desperation of lower-class Americans. By turns funny, harrowing, and horrifying, this play follows one man's doomed quest to make a difference for himself and his family. Bronson demonstrates here that she is not a playwright who shies away from the horrors of humanity. She "goes there." This play may not take you to a pleasant place, but it will definitely leave you with a lot to think about.

Bronson shows just how bold of a playwright she is here. She tackles several modern themes, such as loss, sexual harassment, and assault, while engaging in conversation with mythology as well as bringing it into the modern era. Her use of language is strong and poetic. The final monologue by Eurydice's Mother is one of the most gut-punching uses of imagery I've ever read, and I will not forget it any time soon. Check it out!

A refreshingly specific spin on the topical abortion play, this time discussing aborting a child who will most likely be disabled. The story examines the tight familial bonds between two siblings, and how a decision one of them makes threatens to tear them apart. A compelling story that sucks you in from the beginning and devastates you in the end. Asks several tough questions, such as whether our responsibilities are to ourselves or are loved ones. It also has a great role for an actor with Downs Syndrome. Check it out!

A dark comedy that almost shouldn’t be as funny as it is. By exploring the twisted dynamic between a tortured serial killer and his overly curious would-be victim, Seidel has crafted a fascinating play that explores our fascination with each other- and how that fascination devolves when confronted with the real person. Darkly funny and super compelling, this is a great piece for theatre companies looking for an unconventional comedy with a real human core.

A powerful play about a gay soldier returning home from Afghanistan having lost parts of himself both literally and figuratively. Explores PTSD and identity with brutal and violent theatricality. It’s also a tender love story between two men who have been through the worst together and individually struggle to readjust to civilian life. By the end, I was left devastated and touched by its story and characters, as well as its message: Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable with the ones who love and know you the deepest.

This monologue, a combination of speech and stream-of-consciousness, is A LOT. There's a lot of character in these words. Sandy is a character with a long history, who once had dreams of being a more significant person, who's doing her best to get by on a meager paycheck, and who's simultaneously frustrated and amused at what her life has become. There's a lot for an actress to really sink her teeth into and run with. The audience participation bits are incredibly well-handled. I can see this being a blast to perform and watch.

A brief, yet wickedly satiric examination of our fairy tale mythology. A self-absorbed prince tries to figure out why the princesses he saves don't want him, while his sarcastic squire tries to tell him why he is so repulsive to them. In just five pages, Hageman smartly subverts the tired Prince and Princess tropes of most fairy tales into something that all dudes need to hear today.

An intimate and powerful two-hander that offers a unique perspective on many topics today: race, privilege, sexuality, the appropriation of another race's art, our responsibility to fight social injustice, and several others. The language is poetic, the characters are engaging, and the life-affirming message is one that we need to hear right now.

A short, but very sweet play about a Thanksgiving dinner that does NOT do disastrously! While the main character is in a crisis, it was a nice touch that he was able to discuss it with his family without it dissolving into chaos. The character of Grandma also had several funny moments. Nice little play!