Recommended by Scott Sickles

When someone is delusional, the impossible things they’re describing are, from their point of view, really happening to them. LEGACY addresses this conundrum with grace and dignity. At first, Helene doesn’t want to deal with Joseph’s insanity, but finally, she meets him halfway and it’s beautiful. The play is a profound examination on aging, loss, and simply living on. The characters are beautifully realized, with humor and raw emotion, as they navigate a rocky path of unimaginable tragedy.

From the Hammer Films atmosphere to the celebration and affectionate debunking of vampire tropes, Walker takes a hilarious sketch comedy premise about the undead and infuses it with centuries of complicated, messy life. We get to know these characters - feel lifetimes of heartbreak that led them both to this pivotal moment as we look into the voids they try to escape or embrace - all while doubling over and falling out of our chairs with laughter. This is the GALAXY QUEST of vampire plays.

People forget that "middle aged" means 40. (Really, late 30s. Sorry!) Gartner starts this elegant examination of gay male dynamics square in the middle, before sending these two men off in divergent directions. The miracle here is that the characters are always themselves as time and age (forward and reverse) change the prism of their relationship from sexual, to lived-in, to beautifully platonic – a seamless parade of "what if we met then?" Each scenario, a reservoir of truth and affection.

There are myriad stories of straight women marrying closeted men, each unique in its own right. This play is a spiritual autopsy of such a marriage, examining remains of a life that was doomed from the start, in no small part due to the evangelical community that trapped them in an inescapable corner. The setting is so evocative you can smell the fresh lakeside breeze and the stale air of home. A strong critique of oppression and repression that never gets in the way of telling a powerful tale.

What a delightful metatheatrical post-marital extravaganza! This will be particularly resonant with overgrown man-children and the people who love them but can only take so much. Gibbs gives us a deeply silly man, an understandably exhausted ex, and a cavalcade of real, complex emotions presented with pathos and aplomb. The staging possibilities are endless! It's a true gift for directors, costume and prop designers, and ACTORS! But the real winners in this divorce are the audience. A joy!

What starts out as a pretty typical (yet fun!) Jewish dating comedy takes a timely turn. Norkin boldly goes where most blind dates would never dare... at least not until recently. But now, questions of heritage and politics best saved for later have taken on a new urgency and there's no time to waste! The play seriously examines the world while keeping the banter going and the audience rooting for our blind daters. I just hope she's okay with him ordering bacon with his lox.

One great thing about streaming is you can watch films and TV from childhood with greater understanding. How joyous to go back to a time where we thought we understood everything when in truth, we understood... less. In this perfect portrait of childhood, Gill spins a precocious tale of intrigue as two tots embark on the universal childhood pursuit of sneaking grown-up TV. Careful what you wish for, kids... At least you'll have wonders to look forward to and look back on. Like this play!

As someone who was voted "Noisy Likely to Get Stockholm Syndrome" in high school – or would’ve been if any of my classmates knew what Stockholm Syndrome was – I knew I would have a strong affinity for this play and its hostage. I was pleasantly surprised by the fairyland setting, effervescent characters, and especially by the deceptive gravitas of the circumstances. A delightful 2-pager/hander, refreshing as a cool fizzy drink on a hot day, with a fun twist that sticks the landing!

This wee play is like a cacophony of joyfully creepy giggles coming at you from the dark. It as though wood nymphs decided to put on their own version of John Carpenter’s THE THING while high on fairy dust! The dialogue is musical, frothy, and deeply wicked. It will be endlessly fun to costume and play. (Though in the wrong hands, the glitter budget will be off the chain!) And there’s tons of Weavers's signature smooching! The whole endeavor is equal parts adorable and gruesome! Absolutely delightful!

Nothing beats a good collapse-into-me cuddle with the right person. And Cole certainly offers alternatives! But in the end, security, affection, tenderness, and love are all amplified by contact tempered by affection - a simple human puzzle where the pieces fit no matter how you place them, knowing that the configurations will change until separation becomes inevitable. The now is all. A beautiful, sublimely simple ode.