Recommended by Doug DeVita

Oh, to be 17 and everything in your world, particularly a high school yearbook popularity contest, is a high stakes event. Without a bit of condescension towards his teenaged characters, Sunshine perfectly captures their angst and somewhat skewed priorities yet also layers in sharp grains of truth about their future lives, at least the way they see them unfolding. One can't help but think how sad it would be if these feelings played out for them in their 70s... Brilliant stuff, hard hitting yet subtle at the same time.

Wow. To use a line in the play, "Shit is whack. Shit is so whack." Fascinating, horrifying, and intense, Mallon still manages to find some very funny moments to exploit in this sharp 10-minute piece that reads with the heft of a full-length. Terrific work.

The tension and the laughs build steadily throughout this wonderfully terrifying dark comedy; set in a not-too-distant future that could still happen if we're not careful, Kyle Smith's dystopian ode to the fight against fascism is smart, engaging, frightening, and fall on the floor funny. And what's not to love about that?

This short from Stephen Kaplan, essentially a living memory play, is so layered and nuanced it feels like a fast-moving full-length; one is left gobsmacked not only by how much is so skillfully packed into its 10 minute running time, but also at the depth of the emotions it wrings forth. Absolutely wonderful.

John Busser busting on Dorian Gray? Yes, please! Pure, silly fun as only Busser can provide, with laugh-out-loud lines, wonderful re-imaginings of the characters, and a firm grasp of the satire with tongue firmly in cheek. Snap!

In the weird family sweepstakes, this group takes the top prize, mashing mom’s prize-winning meatloaf to smithereens. Levine delineates a family whose inability to focus and/or listen to each other with funny, yet heartbreaking skill. If this is a Sunday dinner, please don’t invite me to Thanksgiving.

Taube takes a sweet look at the rivalry between two sisters, circa 1947, writing with a solid grasp on their differences and similarities. His sense of period is spot on, yet the universality of the sibling’s relationship keeps the play contemporary and compelling.

Taube writes with unbridled passion on a serious subject, chronicling the friendship of two entertainment industry professionals from college into early middle-age, their successes and failures, and most importantly the addictions that threaten to destroy their lives. Large and sprawling, yet intimate and harrowing, it's a very touching story of friendship, love, and loss.

This wonderful quest play, based on the Russian Firebird fables, is operatic in scope yet also charmingly intimate. There are many magical moments that allow for imaginative staging, and many marvelous roles; the central role is an especially strong role for a woman; whether dressed as a man or as a woman, Vasilissa/Vasily drives the play with quiet, determined strength. A terrific YA drama, suitable for all ages.

This marvelous children's play – in verse – is another winner in the magical canon of Cross magicality. And like the best children's literature, it works on levels that speak to both kids and adults, and is entertaining for both. Did I already say magical? Who cares? I'll say it again: this is a truly magical work.