Recommended by John Bavoso

In ORION AND THE GOATMAN, Murdock has crafted a taut two-hander about ritual—an annual camping trip, a story meant to ward off an urban legend, the making of the perfect s’more, the spreading of the ashes of a loved one. Punctuated with familiar moments of horror, the play really shines in its natural depiction of two brothers coming to terms with their relationship, past, present, and future. Perfect for an outdoor, site-specific performance, this script has just enough scares and more than enough heart to keep audiences enthralled.

I love queer horror, especially on the stage, and King has created an excellent addition to the genre in SON OF MOURNING. Taut and atmospheric, this play builds in intensity, touching on topics of current events, mental illness, and homophobia (internalized and external) while still delivering interesting characters and some real scares. Highly recommended!

In AFTER JANE, Strayer has crafted a play specifically for teens that not only educates about a less-known historical figure, but also speaks to issues and feelings—like grief and romantic uncertainty—that transcend age and time. Very much worth a read!

If Molière, The Golden Girls, and To Wong Fu had a drag daughter, it would be HOTEL PUERTO VALLARTA! Davila has crafted such fun, over-the-top characters, and the badinage absolutely sparkles on every page. Underneath the bawdy double-entendres are classic themes of love, jealousy, betrayal, and finding the thing that makes you feel (w)hole. A delightfully campy read that would be a blast for an exuberantly queer cast—highly recommended!

HAIRDRESSER ON FIRE feels so deeply rooted in the time it was written, and yet has timeless things to say about love, friendship, codependency, and loneliness. Sickles’ signature wit sparkles on every page, and I loved reveling in the camp of it all. Best of all is the realistic depictions of the joys and frustrations of friendship.

Reading Front Porch Society truly feels like eavesdropping on a conversation between best friends and neighbors. Beaty beautifully shows the human scale of massive events like elections, war, and systemic racism and police brutality. At turns funny and harrowing, this is a moving play about hope and the ways the past is intertwined with the present and future. Highly recommended!

Despite being set in the early years of a different pandemic, there’s no doom and gloom to be found in HOT BEEF—just ribald, campy, romantic comedy! When an ad man for a gay porn magazine and closeted executive for a homophobic condom company meet in San Francisco in the ‘80s, hijinks ensue. Tim Bryant has created a play reminiscent of a slapstick black-and-white film or the gayest Hallmark movie imaginable (I mean that as a compliment). If you’re looking for a laugh and a happy ending (pun most definitely intended), give this play a read!

What begins as a meet-cute between an older white man and a younger Asian American one quickly becomes something much deeper—both in terms of the relationship and Pilapil’s thoughtful meditations on race, power, art, and what we give up to another person to be part of a couple. Sprinkled with quick wit and dazzling turns of phrase, the bottoming process is both entertaining and leaves you with a lot to think about. Would absolutely love to see this staged — highly recommended!

This script is such a wild, funny, harrowing, highly theatrical ride! Underneath the attention-grabbing conceit and text-speak/references to Charlie the Unicorn (a personal favorite) is a lurking dread and lots of weighty questions about identity, love, and capitalism, among other things. This play would be a joy for a creative, open-minded cast, designers, and director—and I hope to see it fully up on its feet one day!

THE CALL LIST is a beautifully understated play that tackles everything from mortality, family turmoil, and workplace stress in an astoundingly natural, and at times hilarious, way. Brian James Polak has crafted a solo show (timely, huh?) based on a familiar conceit (a one-sided phone call) that deftly avoids falling into cliches and too much exposition. A really lovely play about the sum of a life and what we leave behind... read it (and produce it!) for yourself!