Recommended by John Bavoso

In this eerie play, Meager has managed to create a world that feels both sprawling and claustrophobic at once. It is imbued with a sense of foreboding that builds and creeps up on you. While it’s like a mashup of the Cassandra myth and the Salem witch trials, this play still has a lot to say about feminism, isolationism, and borders in the present. I’d love to see an ambitious company take this on!

I recently had the privilege of watching Darcy work in person and was in awe of how they pack so much feeling and poetry into each play—and this is no exception. The word I keep coming back to is “aching.” Using a well-known Bible story as a foundation, Darcy explores such huge concepts as trauma and its aftermath, longing for a home, and impossible love in intimate ways through the oft-overlooked lens of working-class queer folks. I can’t wait to see this come alive on stage—and the rest of this epic cycle of plays as well!

An achingly beautiful play that empathetically lays bare how broken our systems are and how damaging keeping parts of yourself secret can be. And yet, this play also shows how, even now, in the most dire of circumstances, two unlikely strangers can bridge the gap and build a community. Kearns has a way of writing dialogue that is both gorgeous and naturalistic. Do yourself a favor and produce this stunning, timely play!

This play definitely lives up to the hype. In the same vein as Shakespeare’s R&J and that episode of My So-Called Life that incorporated Our Town, Belflower has crafted a timely, contemporary piece in conversation with a classic text. Full of funny and profound dialog that actually sounds authentically like teenagers talking, this is a thought-provoking piece that should be produced far and wide. Highly recommended!

I love this play. It’s a weird, funny, devastating look at friendships between women, relationships among coworkers, and our damaged and tenuous ties to society. By following lines like “No one liked me in high school so I’m really good at state birds,” with “Did you think we were not capable of creating a world all our own?” Houghton reveals her deft way of playing with humor and poetry. I’d love to see a young, ambitious company take on a full production of this play!

Talk about an indecent proposal! This play is bizarre, macabre, yet heartwarming in a really strange way? Moore and Walker do an excellent job showing how two strangers can come together even in the most baffling of circumstances. I’d love to see this live one day!

I freakin’ love this play! Dark, sexy, smart, and surprising, it’s an original take on our society’s fraught relationship with masculinity, both within and outside the queer community. I imagine this would be a delicious piece to design and act in, and a show audience would be talking about for a long time. Highly recommended!

A beautiful play that deftly puts a familiar structure to perfect use. Finley lets us in on so much about his characters in such a short amount of time. Great roles for four actors as well. Highly recommended!

IN THE CLOSET puts a theatrical spin on the idea that coming out of the closet isn’t a singular event for member of the LGBTQ+ community—it's something we have to do over and over again at different points in our life. Fuchs' take on the metaphorical closet as a “warm, lovely place that’s safe and feels like home” is unique and strangely comforting. With opportunities for four versatile actors to shine, IN THE CLOSET would make a great addition to a queer festival or perfect pick for Pride Month.

I saw a production of this recently in Washington, DC, and had an absolute blast. An out-of-this-world, all-ages play that’s not afraid to engage with more serious subject matter, ANNIE JUMP is a genuine celebration of nerdiness, empowerment, and love! Also, Hardy’s created lots of exciting opportunities for talented designers to play and show off. Highly recommended!