Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

Two unnamed characters (referred to only as A and B) dance around the questions that most, if not all, couples are forced to confront about their loyalty to one another and what both are willing to sacrifice for each other. Their avoidance, captured with fast-paced, artfully inarticulate dialogue, is aggravated when A's dog violently attacks B. In addition to the back and forth between these two, there are razor-sharp monologues about love and devotion--the monologues to the dog are particularly strong, as well as the opening monologue. A messy play about messy, flawed people.

An unconventional love story with a touch of whimsy, Sam Heyman has given us a trio of endearing yet complex characters who believably fall in love with each other over the course of three acts. I had so much fun bouncing around time with these characters, and was engaged in their burgeoning exploration of polyamory. A narrator adds a lovely and delightful tone to the story. Wonderful work!

This slow-burn thriller encompasses grief, loss, and cults. At its core, however, it’s about three parents—one grieving the loss of their child, one trying to reunite with their child, and another trying to keep her family together—grappling with their roles in their children’s lives. Gibson treats her characters with grace and empathy, even while they do horrific things to each other. The pacing of the story is deliberate, the revelations shocking the audience without overwhelming them, building to a high-stakes climax and a revelation more sinister than imaginable.

Holy Eff! What starts as a slightly kooky comedy quickly becomes disturbingly dark and bleak. One of the most frightening and effective short horror plays I’ve seen in a long time, this play brings to mind movies such as “Speak No Evil.” I’m legitimately shooketh by this play.

I was lucky enough to see this incredible play at the Valdez Theatre Conference. This play is a potent example of Gay Gothic, seamlessly and surprisingly transitioning from old-fashioned gay play to ghoulish, ghostly horror. It taps into a horrifying and disturbing mythology (an imprint of the devastating legacy of AIDS) and manages to stay two steps ahead of its audience. By the time the play draws you in with its involving characters, it has already taken you to the edge of a dark abyss. And best of all? It feels no need to explain yourself. Fantastic play!

What starts off as a hysterical satire of contemporary sexual mores becomes a heartbreakingly piquant and sad exploration of two flawed people whose relationship could never work out. Blevins’s dialogue is sharp and specific, and she has a keen-eyed yet unsentimental perspective of her characters. This is not a play that will make you comfortable. It’s not supposed to. It succeeds in making you contemplate the role of sex and intimacy in our lives.

A wild, wacky, icy satire of corporate subservience and what happens when a company moves far away from its mission and its origins. Wildly hilarious one minute and devastating the next, often simultaneously!

I was lucky enough to see this play at the Valdez Theatre Conference. A razor-sharp comedy about the emotional inarticulateness surrounding intense emotions such as grief and anxiety, Everett springboards into a compassionate exploration of three people who don’t know how to reach each other in the ways they need to. With beautifully constructed dialogue and compelling characters, this dramatic comedy seamlessly shifts into a gut-punch in the last twenty minutes. Fantastic play!

What a mess! I don’t mean this delicious play, which is tightly and precisely structured with delightfully unforced rhymes and the snappy pace of a restoration comedy. I mean the characters Sampieri depicts with a generous yet lacerating eye, who enter into a polyamorous arrangement for the wrong reasons, and whose relationship issues won’t be solved by the involvement of outside parties. An insightful and incisive comedy about love, revenge, and how we fit into each other’s lives, this play is a blast to read and will surely be a blast to perform/watch!

One of the most complex and compelling and thorny explorations of activism I've ever read, this sprawling play tackles not only what rights we have as humans, but also what sacrifices and compromises are necessary to obtain those rights. Through Wilkins' humanistic and nuanced writing, we learn that compromise isn't evil or even complacent--it's a matter of picking your battles so that you can make the most positive impact on the world. It's a play that will leave you with more questions than answers, and will make you reflect on your place in the world. Highly recommended!