Recommended by Emily Hageman

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Okay sorry but seriously AHHHH! Zaffarano has crafted one seriously creepy play in five short pages. This play is absolutely perfect for any night of horror plays, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be creeped out forever. Put this play in a night of short plays and be prepared for it to be talked about for years to come. One of the most perfect dark comedies I've ever read. I'll definitely be checking out more of Zaffarno's work.

Matthew Weaver is one of the most self-aware playwrights on the face of the earth. There is something so dark and so weird about this play. It's funny, but it's also not? All I know is that it's pure delight and it's creepy and it's fun and it's well-written and honestly, it just needs to get performed right away. Like, right away.

This is my favorite thing in the entire world. Diaz-Marcano, you are a genius. Please produce this play. I would give it a standing ovation. I am, in my house, by myself.

To say that I love this play doesn't feel like enough. I read this play, and there were so many parts that were so true, so real, so personal that I felt raw seeing them on the page. This is an absolutely remarkable play, about as perfect as it gets. Moss' dialogue, characters, everything is so perfectly placed to create such a remarkable effect. This is one of my favorite plays on NPX and you need to put down whatever you're doing and read it now and then produce it again and again and again.

Full of heart and life. Vansant has a gift for writing for the young voice. I love that this play features three great roles for young women that feature them being more than just generally female. Clearly written by someone who cares about young people, Spark is a smart, funny, and unique story about a girl (dragon?) who isn't trying to fit in--and that's okay, because Vansant makes sure that we all know by the end of the play that there is great beauty in just being yourself.

Absolutely completely and totally captivating and beautiful. I am so moved by this gorgeous short. If Gina Femia isn't the next big thing, I will eat my socks. The emotion that she is able to pull so effortlessly, but with such precision and care, is nothing short of genius. Get acquainted with her work now before she goes big.

This is a really fascinating two-hander. It's full of Hoke's fantastic dialogue--and Britt and Joe jump right off the page in all of their wonderful qualities, and all of their horribleness. Their relationship is a strange and complicated one, but there is such beauty and such deep love between them. As always, Hoke excels at writing plays that are so beyond what you might initially expect--and you are so glad they went beyond your expectations when you finish reading. I'd so love to see her work on stage--and I have a feeling I will soon.

I've never read a play that so perfectly captured the voice of a girl this age so perfectly. As I read this magnificent play, I remembered what it was like to be this age in all of its raw glory. Simpson is a marvel and one of my favorite playwrights period. She writes with such grace and intelligence, with such powerful emotion that is so incredibly understated. Everything in this play is so painfully real. This is not your average coming of age story, but being a young woman is anything but average anyways.

If you've never read a Matthew Weaver play, stop reading this review right now and read one. For the love of everything, do it now. If you want to find a voice that is charming and thoughtful and earnest and incredibly funny and clever, this is the one. Weaver has written a fantastic noir piece that totally bucks every single norm in the best way. The lead character Ace is an absolute delight, and I kept being surprised by every page. A fantastic piece for any age group. As always, brilliantly done, Weaver!

Wow. This play hurts. Any educator who reads or sees this play will be profoundly moved by it because it's so real. The play starts off with a bang, and doesn't slow down from there. The characters are deeply complicated--Celeste Dawkins may be one of my favorite protagonists I've ever read in awhile--and there are no easy answers. The themes of this piece--the extra time, the dealing with disability, the impossibility of trying to succeed in a career where no one cares if you do... this play hurt in the best way. Thank you, Burdick, from one teacher to another.