Recommended by Jacob Juntunen

This incredible use of clowns to address the complicated relationship between Mexico and the U.S. never gets bogged down in didactic words. Instead, slapstick comedy keeps the audience laughing, then thinking, then wondering if they should be laughing, then laughing some more. A huge success in the difficult genre of satire.

It is a pleasure to see a well-crafted play about a happily married couple where the conflict comes from outside, not inside, their relationship. This play uses humor and drama in equal measure, and the poetic language invoked by the title is sprinkled throughout its realistic dialogue to great effect.

This hilarious piece is perfect for a site-specific, immersive production. It's got smart jokes, absurd characters, and ultimately a timely message about extinction and the environment.

Taking place after the events of _The Crucible_, Adams's play has an exciting plot, complete with the suspense and humor you would expect from the author of other great works like _Or,_. However, what truly fascinates me is adult Abigail's question: were there witches? Of all people to doubt, Adams makes the star witness doubt her own word. Adult Abigail states, "I came back to see if it is only in New England that the invisible world holds such terrible sway." In these times of religious fanatics, this is a powerful question in an ambitious play.

Tin Noses delightfully utilizes the "play-within-a-play" tradition to create two worlds for the audience. In so doing, it comments on how acclaim often goes to able-bodied actors playing disabled characters. The conceit also provides humor, surprise, and, through watching characters play other characters, opportunities for clever subtext to shine through. Bowden does a wonderful job finding a way to intersect superheroes, prestige projects, and disability, all with a deft and comic touch. The play also offers an all-too-rare opportunity to cast a disabled actor.

There are few plays that honestly address the fact that many so-called disabilities have positive aspects to them while at the same time not denying the difficulties of those conditions. Sarah Bowden's The Magnificent Masked Hearing Aid walks this thin line, beautifully portraying why someone with a disability might fear losing aspects of one's self in a treatment that is equally desirable. All this in a play with humor, comic book references, and a lovely father/daughter relationship. A must read.