Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

In an age of AI and ChatGPT, what comes next? Genetically-engineered servants who are expected to obey every word and withstand the abuse that comes with being treated as not-quite-human? Even if we take it as face value and forget the allegorical possibilities, it's still a harrowing tale of how we treat those we expect to wait on us and suffer in silence. Mark Harvey Levine's staging abilities are legendary, but this piece, even as seen in a reading at Midwest Dramatists 2023, leaps out at you and makes you shudder and think.

Wow, talk about the road trip from Hell... or to it. Kevin Rabas's clever and cringe-inducing -- in a good way -- short play has all the elements that make this pairing of Liz and James something any audience will find both hilarious and harrowing. What do they see in each other? Why are they even friends, much less a couple? But it's clear that there's something to this odd couple that is endearing and enduring, and I enjoyed every minute of it at the Midwest Dramatists Conference 2023.

Jessie Salsbury's look at the last act of a life is tender, but with just the right amount of practicality that it makes the audience appreciate the moment as an honest assessment of his life. There may be regrets, but he is facing them and the end with his eyes wide open to the end. There's none of the five-stages trope unless you take into account that John is the one making the bargaining worth it.

Years may pass, age takes its toll, as does gravity, but love and the people in love with each other can be timeless; frozen in amber with the soft glow of life still about them. Aaron Leventman's short play gives us a lifetime to think about what really matters and is meaningful: the little things we never forget. And in those moments, we see that surviving is more than just staying alive. A beautiful bouquet to these lovers.

It's as if Samuel Beckett took his absurdist track -- focusing on menial tasks -- and gave it a suburban nightmare once-over. Clever, cute, maddening, and yet refreshing: kind of like drinking the Theory of Relativity for breakfast. Or pie. Well, Joe?

No one knows their child better than a parent, and no parent should have to tolerate the judgments of others on how they care for their child, especially from the foolish and those who presume to know better. This is not a crie de coeur, but a powerful standing statement of love and willing sacrifice that only a parent can understand. Yes, this is a case of special needs, but it applies to anyone who has a heart and a mind and a child.

A poignant recollection of moments where falling in love seems as natural as breathing. This young man is clearly head-over-heels, but also clear-eyed to know that this is a moment only; that life will resume, that hearts will be strained, tested, and time will tell. Still, you don't want him to lose that thrill, and this could easily last a lifetime.

I had the privilege of hearing this play as it was being developed, and I am so happy to see how Arianna Rose has brought these characters to life, and then to see it performed at Sol Theatre in Boca Raton, FL. This is a tour-de-force of art, insight, and understanding about two fascinating women -- the Cone sisters -- and their collection that brings two towering figures of 20th century literature -- Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas -- into our minds guided by the presence of a figure from Matisse. Enthralling and truthful.

We all need friends like these, willing to bite the... cheese and do their best to look out for each other. Steve Martin's touch is gentle but gets to the heart of the matter of understanding the tacit love each of these guys feel for each other. A wonderful moment. Wait... no crackers?

Some of the most complex and true theatre takes place in the imaginations and actions of children. It proves that our ability to create full-dimensional characters, action, conflict, and resolution is an instinct; it only becomes complicated -- and distorted -- when we grown-ups try too hard to make sense of make-believe. In this short and achingly true piece observing Slim, "Chancey," and Hairline Q. Brush, we see into just how this improvised game lives up to the core of theatre: providing the escape that allows these young actors to face reality with courage and resolve.