Recommended by Emily Hageman

Haas has done it again. Three sisters, as similar as they are unique, gather together to stay in place for another year. Each character is lovingly and beautifully fully fleshed out--and their mother is a living entity, weaving around the sisters and speaking through them. This play is not a grim dwelling on the tragedy of 9/11, it is a celebration of life and how time continues to spin forward. Haas has made a beautiful noise with this play and as always shines a beautiful light in the darkest of places.

A very interesting little play that says a lot without saying much at all. Weaver has carefully stylized the play to be respectful and thoughtful. As with any Weaver play, it is sweet and uplifting and never condescending while tackling the important issue of consent, romanticizing the opposite sex, and learning to embrace reality as being just as beautiful as fantasy.

This is a remarkable play about the unremarkable. Rain and Isaac are not beautiful and they are not special and they are not even particularly interesting. They are actually kind of pathetic--but that is what I love about them. Kras has created something that is so painfully real that it almost hurts to look at, but you can't stop because it's so true. The dialogue is written like poetry and this play IS poetry--an ode to the crappy. This play deeply resonated with me and would resonate with our generation now. So much is said and unsaid. Wow. Highly recommend.

Pure magic. Burbano has created something that is unlike anything that I have ever read. Somehow simultaneously ancient, current, and futuristic, Policarpa is a magical story of a magical girl and the magical people she knows. It is a story of bravery and terror and loss, but ultimately, the incredible power of love. Burbano writes with magnificent storytelling, poetic dialogue, and stunning descriptions of the stage acting. This show would be absolutely incredible to see.

Mystical and timely, Jost has created a fascinating world for an audience to live in. Everything is strange, except for the people--the people are real and the dialogue is natural. There is a lot to unpack in this fascinating piece--it truly calls for multiple readings and multiple viewings as an audience. Jost has done a fabulous job of creating a world that none of us would want to live in, but one that we might live in one day--but in this world, there still is hope and truth.

An absolutely lovely piece about one of the saddest things imaginable--the loss of memory. Art's beginning monologue is enough to bring you to your knees, but Suzanne keeps going. We can understand why Art's love of CJ is almost frustrating, but then, the end happens and you know that all is right. Simple, sweet, and powerful, Suzanne paints this short play with incredible precision and beauty--and the result is equal parts gorgeous and heart-breaking.

An absolutely remarkable play that packs a severe gut-punch. This isn't a topic that many authors would tackle, but Bykowski does masterfully with compassion, fearlessness, and beauty. The staging would be stunning to see--both somehow fully immersive and completely detached--and the characters are women that any courageous actress would be eager to take on. Bykowski has written a play about women who are strong, unapologetic, and relentless. This is a play that would stay with audiences for a long time--and will keep me thinking for awhile. Stage it now.

Equal parts funny and scary, Bohannon has created a terrifying prescient short play about the increasingly overwhelming power of technology. This is an especially important piece now with everything going on in our country--and across the world. Not only does this piece sparkle with fun dialogue, entertaining back-and-forths, and well-developed characters that any actor or actress would love to dig into, but it tells an important message that literally made my stomach drop. Highly recommended for any short play festival--especially a horror-themed one.

The Violet Sisters is one of the best plays I've ever read. I would kill to see this on stage--and kill even more to get to act in it. The dialogue, the monologues, the reality, the horror, the humor, the overwhelming beauty, and the indescribable ugliness. Two flawed people brought together into a flawed place who quite nearly make something beautiful. This play will stay with me for a long time. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend, Femia has created something that exceeds words and goes straight into the heart.

I can truly say that Weingarten has one of the most hilarious and original voices I've ever heard ;) The play is quirky, ridiculous, creative, and pokes fun at millennials while never disrespecting them. Jackie and Monday are completely over-the-top, but they are also insanely empowering and relatable. Despite the cavalcade of memes that poured out of the mouths of our heroines, I can honestly say that I #aspire to be like them. Truthful, heart-warming, and laugh out loud funny, Weingarten has really created a play that sparkles.