Recommended by Scott Sickles

A zombie walks into a bar.

But does he know he's a zombie? Either way, he seems to be having a rough right!

Greeting Anslow are overenthusiastic bar manager Charlie and tattooed-and-over-it bartender Lola. McClain hilariously builds on these archtypes by putting them in a situation they (and we) could not have seen coming! You really feel you know these people as people, even and perhaps especially the zombie.

Perhaps you'll even come away with a greater sensitivity for our undead and otherwise supernaturally encumbered neighbors.

Great fun for actors and audiences, especially in Halloween Eve Eve!

The opening image alone is priceless.

Cross takes (at least) two classic tropes, weaponizing one against the other. It's not a fair fight. Judgment has been passed. One of them unworthy and needs to go.

The same is true of the conflict between her characters! They embody the literary argument while being humans with motivations. And plans, oh the plans!!!

Cross gets you thinking about the future, what will happen when this moment ends and is discovered by someone. It'll also enforces how the way we treat our characters reflects how we value the people they represent.

Very cool!

Moral relativism can be tricky.

Prillaman pits First Century Christianity against multi-millennial Old Norse, adding a touch of vampirism to give it extra (forgive me) bite.

Most importantly, BARBARIAN answers the question, "what good is a cross if the vampire isn't Christian?"

As always, Prillaman masterfully immerses the reader into a setting and, especially, an atmosphere. YOU ARE THERE!

So is a little Christan boy taught to turn the other cheek, even in the face of an undead Viking warrior. A great theological debate ensues and we're left feeling that this conflict won't be over for a very long time.

Sometimes the most difficult thing to do in a horror story is believably keep a character in a situation when they (and we) know they can and should run. Father Stanley needs to run. Fortunately for us and unfortunately for him, precocious teenager Keith knows how to keep Stanley off-balance and on the hook (so to speak).

Cathro creates an unsettling conversation, luring us in with sublime power dynamics and rich characters. Meanwhile, you'll run through tropes in your head trying to guess what's really going on.

Good luck with that.

GOLDFISH is a true original.

There's nothing creepier than a creepy child. Except maybe a creepy child you can't see with an imaginary bear you can hear outside your door!

And that's just the setup of Dominica Plummer's taut, mordantly funny, deceptively cute slow burn of a dreamlike play that gets incrementally realer and more dangerous by the second. The payoffs are many and you'll need a moment to catch your breath when it's over.

In a deeply twisted way, there's something almost comforting about THE LANGUAGE BEAR in that the titular creature is all about communication, truth, and, inevitably, consequences.

A horror/suspense gem!

There are great teachers in the world as well as plenty of stories about great teachers... educators who know that being tough but fair, showing the value of critical thinking, and embedding personal discipline by enforcing consequences leads their pupils to become better people. And this teacher in this monologue could be one of them. Indeed, they're on the verge of, if not greatness, excellence! If only...

Boyle gives us a would-be warrior for learning fighting the Sisyphean battle against the policies and practices that have kneecapped American learning and thinking. The piece is exhilarating, inspiring, and ultimately devastating.

Underneath a very funny veneer of vampire comedy lies a sharply resonant statement. Namely, this is what it’s like to date a narcissist/sociopath. (They’re not mutually exclusive.) Deray’s vampire, as vampires do, takes what he wants without regard or consent, then tries to convince his hapless, inexperienced victim that he’s done him a favor! BEEN THERE!!! What makes this piece extra special is that super-average Kurt finds strength and a voice even when his boundaries and wishes are irrevocably violated. Great roles in a deceptively complex piece that’ll be fun to produce and watch!

There's always one...

The person in your friend group or support group or who's just always there... Who tries to be sympathetic to your troubles even though they can't possibly understand them because everything comes SO EASY to them!

What's worse is when you know their story ends so horribly that you can't even get any satisfaction from THAT without being a total jerk.

McClain provides a truly funny take on Mary raising Jesus through the eyes of her neighbors. There's a resentment spawned by privilege and perfection and it's on full display here. Acerbic, witty, honest, and fun!

Unabashedly gorgeous!

From the title with its double helix of irony and earnestness to its pitch perfect ending, filled with infinite possibilities while embracing beauty in the finite, Cross has fashioned a mini-masterpiece.

There is so much to unpack: philosophically, scientifically, intellectually, and emotionally. A great empathy envelops the headiness, devastation, and profound purpose, making everything instantly accessible. Your brain sparks and your heart fills beyond what even the strongest stasis barrier can contain.

I love a beautiful apocalypse, especially when it's accompanied by a lovely genesis, and given to us by characters we can't help but care about.

How do you want to be remembered? The way you really were or how you’re portrayed in a Broadway musical about your more-famous-sister’s life?

You’d think it’d be a great problem to have!

June Havoc, respected character actress and sister to Gypsy Rose Lee, would disagree.

DeVita brilliantly frames her story like a dance marathon. Rousingly theatrical, the storybook atmosphere makes the details sting with truth... whether they’re true or not. FABLE is a fable about a fable about two very real lives. The dialogue sizzles, the drama soars, and these sisters brand your heart.