Recommended by Elizabeth A. M. Keel

Reminiscent of turning up the heat on crabs in a pot, IN THE CANYON is a vividly tense exploration of what happens when we fail to change. The author has crafted a modern tragedy/thriller on the perils of pride, and the harm failed communication can cause to those we love. Not an easy ride, but a potent one.

ACETONE WISHES & PLEXIGLASS DREAMS patches up the empty cracks in your heart you didn't know you had sustained. Celina and Inky are one of the freshest romantic pairings I've seen in ages; these are no manic pixie dream lovers, carrying quirks for the sake of a personality. Instead, they are both the now-adult children of a gossiping neighborhood that loves them, and two lineages plagued by ghosts and regrets. There is room for both magic and hope in this tender, human celebration of Korean culture.

Wholeheartedly agree with all the other recommendations! RX MACHINA shows you the churning underbelly of the cogs of the American medical system, and what they do to the fallible humans who are run through it. The play is keen and incisively honest, imbued with both growth and death, hope and disgust. In other words, if you've spent five minutes in the hospital, either yourself or with a loved one, this play is for you. Features five - 5! - incredibly rich, nuanced female roles.

Deliciously visceral, Kira's oh, to be pure again pairs the rapturous highs and hellish lows of teenage girlhood. The play offers up a sweaty, tousled, fervent naiveté, offering us both the eggshells of faith and the abyss of the real world. I laughed, I cried, I questioned God, I walked away longing to weave friendship bracelets for every character. What a kickass exploration of what it means to be alive, human, and not alone.

Gloria, Chanel, Tammie, and Dawn are reuniting - after an eight year separation - in Gloria's hair salon to mend fences and remember their commitments to each other as one-time friends. Steeped in the steaminess of an Alabama summer in the 70s, the former members of a girl group learn to recognize the woman each of them has become, and to carry their burdens together. Coco Queens is brimming with music, grace, and respect for the women who have clearly influenced the author's life.

Tina's taut four-hander bristles with purpose, rounded out by both a subtle surrealism and thoughtful mythology pulled from its Minnesotan landscape. Neighbor Janes features a sensational titular role for an older actress (the monologues are particularly potent!), and delivers a satisfying reminder that the fight against gaslighting doesn't have to be pursued alone.

City Without Altar blends choral composition with unabashed poetry. Mendez weaves in stage directions that imbue metaphor and mood ("Avocado-bellied hills"), while offering vignettes that shake off the constraints of linear time. From a community of women washing rice to fertility festivals for Yemaya, City Without Altar seeks out holiness in the nature of its landscape, and ultimately in the souls and memories of its people - including the audience.

A quaint story of mystery and magic, this play’s winking fantasy is as sweet as Belgian Waffles. Great ensemble roles for a mix of ages!

Universal, smart, and oh-so-human. I loved the wild, headfirst rush of this play, and its incredible centering of young girls faced with the awful ethics that await them in adulthood. It's going to stick with me forever, much like Antigone.

This sexy, theatrical, and snarky spin on Hero's plight heals the withered plot of the original. It offers notably terrific roles for Hero, Margaret, Benedick, and Beatrice. I congratulate the playwright for simultaneously offering a catalyst for discussions of intimacy, autonomy, and consent, along with songs, dances, giddy masked orgies, and snicker-worthy humor. What a ride.