Recommended by Donna Hoke

An intellectual, hilarious, exhilarating ride! I'm sorry I missed its many productions, but hope the life of this timeless play is long!

Deray has created a family--and they are a family--of characters to care about and cheer for, but more than that, celebrated difference instead of condemning mental illness. It's necessary work and I can't wait to see where this play goes from here.

By reaching into the past, Hudson and Shiree cast stark light on the origins and persistence of present-day racism. I loved the effect of following these women from childhood through middle-age and how the world around them shaped their views and feelings. A wonderful example of collaboration!

Like all great plays, ABIGAIL leaves me with more questions than it answers. Can we separate art and artist? Where we do we draw lines? Do we really need to revive classic works that perpetuate models of humanity we're trying to eradicate? These are all the questions swirling in the modern zeitgeist, begging not just to be asked, but to be discussed, addressed, answered, resolved. The play proves what a monumental task that is by constructing a denunciation of a revered text and playwright and creating an all-too-believable denial of it, the perfect metaphor for the #metoo movement.

A play for right now in every way. Even reading it, you know it's a play that will stay with you. It's crafted with so much intelligence, artistry, theatricality, and care. It will wrap itself around you and stay with you. Beautifully done.

Kaz takes the trope of the actor-as-server and marries it with *Kitchen Confidential* to serve up a non-stop frenetic comedy that skewers the restaurant industry. Actor, customer, or industry insider, you'll not only recognize the people who populate the Great White Cafe who can't seem to decide if they're actors who serve or servers who act, but also feel their pain. Truth and pain: that's the definition of humor.

A mythical and magical exploration of gender identity and empowerment. I think what I loved most of all was the acknowledgment that there is often exclusion even in non-conforming groups, and the move toward greater acceptance. A beautiful inter-generational and inclusive work.

So skillful in rendering a portrait of OCD that you can almost feel what it must be like! With hope and humor, Ben engages the audience in mind and body through one man's journey to the other side.

With a lot of humor and just as much heart, Stephen has crafted a story with a protagonist so lonely and desperate to find a connection that she pulls out all the stops to make it happen. But what Tracy learns is that you can't force connections, you can't be someone you're not, and sometimes relationships begin where and when you least expect them to. Women and comedy in a highly original story add up to a winner!

Was fortunate to see a workshop production of this play and it's classic EM Lewis--lyrical, theatrical, and personal. Lewis knows how to distill humanity to its essence, and she does it beautifully here while also imbuing the experience with gorgeous language and symbolism. It opens in LA soon, but let's hope it keeps moving!