Recommended by Jordan Ramirez Puckett

The story of NEVER NOT ONCE unfolds beautifully, with reveals that are surprising and at the same time feel inevitable. This play feels incredibly relevant, nuanced, and thought provoking. I hope theatres will take a look at this play for their upcoming seasons.

I had the pleasure of seeing Laughs in Spanish at San Diego Rep’s Latinx New Play Festival. The play certainly delivered on its title. The audience and I were audibly laughing throughout the reading. But the play was not without heart. I genuinely cared for every single character on stage. The mother/daughter relationship in particular moved me to tears. I can see this play being a commercial and critical success in theatres all over the country and I hope to see a full production of it soon.

I know a lot of theatres out there are looking for non traditional plays that take place at Christmas time. If you are looking for an irreverant and hilarious Christmas play that takes on the Me Too movement and Marxism, then you should definitely check this out. Hendel has created a world on stage unlike anything I have ever seen before. I would love to see a full production of this play.

I had the pleasure of seeing a Reading of Dream Hou$e at the Latinx New Play Festival at San Diego Rep. This play manages to weave in questions of gentrification, cultural heritage, and family legacy while telling hilarious and heartfelt story of two sisters. With just a dose of magical realism, this is a story that demands to be told onstage. I hope to see a full production of it soon.

With evocative language and a dose of humor, Tsyrlin creates a landscape that instantly pulls you in, giving you characters to both love and despise. And with United States and Russian relations in the news and the US having it’s own detention centers, this play set in the 1940’s feels increasingly relevant. I was fortunate enough to see a university production of this play, and I encourage theatres to consider putting it their season immediately.

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing a production of SUNNY DAYS at Ohio University. This play made me gasp, laugh out loud, and cry , sometimes all in the same five minutes. This beautifully drawn play about teenage/parent relationships and the difference between our online and real life personas is definitely worth a read.

I had the pleasure of seeing this play at the Seabury Quinn Jr. Playwrights’ Festival. Egdorf has created a rich landscape with likeable characters facing morally complicated dilemmas. There are no easy answers in this play and the final scene will stay with me for a long time. I would love to see a full production of this play.

I had the pleasure of seeing a workshop of THE ENDURANCE OF LIGHT at Athena Project's Play in Progress Series in Denver. I was impressed by Amanda's ability to tackle a deeply personal and emotional subject matter juxtaposed against the writings of Shackleton and a reimagining of Einstein and Hidegard von Bingen. THE ENDURANCE OF LIGHT examines grief, science, and faith in a truly theatrical manner.

I had the pleasure of seeing a workshop of TEACH at the Athena Project’s Play In Progress Series. I was blown away by the innovative use of casting to create a uniquely theatrical play. But the play doesn’t rely on spectacle alone. Donna has managed to create characters that I am genuinely invested in, regardless of their gender. This is a story that demands to be told on stages across the country. I sincerely hope that I get the chance to see a full production of this play soon.

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing the workshop production of DEFIANCE OF DANDELIONS at Ohio University. Philana's command of lyrical storytelling is breathtaking. She creates a world slightly different from our own (a world in which girls can give birth to dandelions), but at the same time this world is all too easily recognizable as it punishes black girls for being too loud, too boisterous, too strong... This is a play that demands to be seen.