Recommended by John Bavoso

This is a great, truly scary horror piece that also has a lot of interesting things to say on the relationship between art and commerce, the legacy of trauma, etc. The characters feel real (even in their extreme cruelty) and the dialogue is smart and funny. This ones presents a lot fun design and acting challenges and I’d love to see someone tackle a production of it!

Such a sweet little play for young audiences about masculinity and theatre. Hageman uses a deft hand to address some potentially thorny themes, while keeping it light and entertaining. Not only would this be a lot of fun to watch/produce, but it could spark some pretty great conservations among teens as well!

I've had the pleasure of being in the audience for two separate readings of this play, and it's just as striking each time. The poetic nature of Farah's script perfectly reflects the pain, tenderness, resilience, and strength of the characters she's channeled. I'd love to see a full production of this beautiful piece someday!

A heartbreaking examination of the psychological toll being raised in isolation and fundamentalism can take. I was drawn in by the “ripped-from-the-headlines” nature of the play, but Merilo goes so much deeper into the personal relationships at play to deliver a truly wrenching piece of theatre.

boy is a tender and understated piece, full of yearning and meditation on mortality and relationships. With this clever look at the transactional nature of love and lust, Lusk has created a script in which what goes unsaid is as—if not more so—important than the words being spoken. I think this would make a great addition to an LGBTQ+ one-act festival!

A truly engrossing read that hooks you from the very beginning and doesn’t let go, WAKE is a different kind of ghost story about the people and events that haunt us. It’s also a clever meditation on the power of storytelling. Wrapped up in a riveting paranormal mystery, Gatton offers us a reminder that the AIDS crisis wasn’t a singular, contained event, and more broadly, that what’s past is also always present.

Dark, hysterical, and transgressive (in the best way possible), this play is a such a (brutally guilty) pleasure! The repitition and use of imagery are inspired. The script is compulsively readable, and I imagine it would be an exciting challenge to produce (and watch).

This is a sweeping, epic, surprising, hysterical, and heartbreaking piece that smartly draws parallels between homophobia, toxic masculinity, and colonialism, but doesn’t sacrifice fleshed-out (pun maybe a little intended) characters in the process. The confidence and playfulness of Christopher’s writing is as entertaining as his dialog. A true challenge to produce, but it would an amazing feat if you pull it off!

“I hate the world and I’m in it.” Cefaly creates such brilliant tableaux of pain and humor and longing, and ALABASTER is a beautiful example of that. A gorgeous examination of the scars we can see and the ones we can’t. And everything about Weezy is my favorite thing. Everyone should be reading/producing this play!

A mysterious and intriguing piece that moves at a quick piece but will stick with you long after it's done. Boyle's characters' verbal sparring is a joy to read, and you'll be left with more questions than answers—in the best way possible.