Recommended by John Bavoso

Rinkel captures so much longing, desperation, melancholy, and beauty in just a minute’s time in this piece. He takes what could easily be viewed as a violation—a creeper-shot snapped without the subject’s consent on public transit—and humanizes it, complete with the thrill of the illicit. It’s beautiful, straightforward writing, but it’s what goes left unsaid that makes this brief piece truly memorable.

One of the many things I love about Britt’s work is their ability to turn abstract or internal feelings into striking theatrical images, and this play is a master class in that. This script will speak to anyone who’s ever felt at odds with their own body, had a complex relationship with their family, or just generally struggles to avoid the messy parts of life rather than confront them head on (so, everyone, basically) — which makes it both deeply personal and also marvelously universal. I can’t wait to see this one produced!

Wow, what an intense ride! In HUMILIATION PLAY, O’Leary examines lust, shame, power, and internalized homophobia in a compelling and engrossing way. The story builds and builds — I actually felt the dread rising in me as we got closer to the conclusion; I can only imagine how it would be in person, on stage. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the cycle!

I fucking love this play. It’s an epic, poetic, highly theatrical, cinematic (in the best way) exploration of Queer-with-a-capital-Q love, complete with mythical figures, camp humor, and a deep exploration of how past trauma can affect our current relationships. I listened to the reading on The Parsnip Ship podcast, which I highly recommend for the chance to hear it come alive. A really fun challenge for a game cast, director, and team of designers that I hope to see fully produced one day. Highly recommenced!

The best comedies have something deeply serious at their core, and Stephen Kaplan’s TRACY JONES is a fine example of that. The cringe-comedy is masterfully done, but it’s the universal themes of loneliness and desire to be someone else that gives this play its heft. A great showcase for some talented actors with range, I imagine this is a piece that audiences will be thinking and talking about long after they’ve left the theater. Well done!

The struggle between elderly parents and their adult children in terms of moving them into assisted living versus maintaining their independence is one that's full of dramatic potential... which is why I appreciate that Marj went in the other direction and led with humor in this charming short comedy. A true "slice of life" play, FINDING HELP has great roles for three actors and is sure to be a hit at short play festivals everywhere!

I heard a reading of this play and an interview with Michelle on The Parsnip Ship podcast and absolutely loved it! Michelle explores how complex and fraught the field of genealogy and the act of tracing one's roots can be for African Americans while infusing her dialogue with wit, humor, and pop culture references. Set in the future, the relationships and characters are recognizable in any time period. I hope I get to see this play on stage one day!

Abley has crafted a camp-infused love letter to a very specific art form and time period as well as an entire city and an industry. This script is well-plotted and chock full of wit, foreboding, and characters you grow to care for deeply. A fine example of an “inspired by true events” play, I imagine POPCORN GIRL would be a blast to bring to life for actors and designers alike. Highly recommended!

I was initially drawn in by the BRILLIANT title of this play, but it’s the way Omer Abbas Salem takes an almost sitcom-esque approach to tackling heavy issues like sexuality, religion, intergenerational conflict, and immigration that kept me reading. Mosque4Mosque contains laugh-out-loud moments right next to heartbreaking ones; these are the kinds of queer stories we need to be producing now!

Fantastic and fantastical, THE BOOK OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS is a warm and funny exploration of grief, parent-child relationships, cultural and generational divides, and what we owe to one another. I instantly fell in love with the characters and found them to be relatable yet full of individual quirks. A joy to read and, I hope, to one day see on stage as well!