Recommended by Doug DeVita

This work of art fires and succeeds on so many levels my head is still spinning from the magical rush of wonder it gave me. A deeply affecting, wildly inventive spin on the Pygmalion and Galatea myth – positing William Shakespeare was actually an automaton created to become QE1's consort –it captures its Elizabethan era so perfectly the anachronisms become a natural part of the world Cross has created, and while all the characters are brilliantly conceived, I defy anyone not to fall in love with the Automaton: he is the irresistible heart and soul of this play.

Four friends go through the big stuff and the little stuff and all the stuff in between over the course of several decades in this beautifully written piece. Johnson's effective use of time-jumping, and his exquisitely wrought characters – deeply flawed and wonderfully human as they are – lift the play from the merely marvelous into the sublimely superb. I loved reading it, and I'd love to see it staged.

OMG! Sickles' account of an IRL SNAFU at the UNC in the JSA and the DMZ of Panmunjom Korea on 8/18/76 left me SMH at how much GG he brought to this intense and riveting short play. Sickles FTW.

This fascinating work, a prequel of sorts to the equally fascinating “Peter Pan” story, suggests Pan was far more deeply involved with the Darling family than we ever suspected. Exploring that frustrating time between childhood and adulthood, Diamond takes on parental stifling, fear of abandonment, sexual awakening, and most impressively, the psychological trauma inflicted by Pan’s insouciance and those trips to Neverland, and she does it with wit, pathos, and a sly sense of fun that enhances the underlying seriousness of her work. Enchanting, but frightening, too.

A rare Weaver full-length, this fabulous, charming play makes the case for more Weaver full-lengths. Negotiating the rocky terrain of sexual politics, Weaver creates and sustains a wonderfully funny tension as these two people talk – really talk – about their wants, their desires, and their feelings, and he does it with consistently engaging, whip smart yet realistic dialogue that cuts deep into their emotions. Sophisticated and poignant, the two roles should prove to be catnip for two gifted actors, and a breathtakingly good time for audiences – during, and after.

One of the funniest and meta-ist "miniature biographies" I've ever encountered, what makes this piece stand out is just how much information and pointed, spot-on satire is packed into its ten-minute playing time; every joke, every societal comment, every anachronism lands squarely on its intended target, and the laughter is explosive. A playground for gifted actors, "Lombardo" should be a new New Year's Eve tradition.

Sickles' signature blend of romance and rue is beautifully on display in this complex and heartbreaking love story. With typical Sicklesian humor, he dissects a May/December relationship, turns it upside down and shakes up everything and everyone, including his audience. May/December romances may not be new, but in Sickles' consistently fresh points of view, hearts full of passion, jealousy and hate are never out of date, and must be examined anew.

Ah, the innocent ballsiness of youth! It stands the two teen girls in this high-stakes road trip in good stead, and gives us a sometimes charming, sometimes harrowing ride throughout. The relationship between the girls is particularly well-drawn, and draws us into their story effortlessly, leaving us rooting for them all the way. Tense and touching, this is a wonderful script.

Seriously, this is a comedy. A serious comedy. A strangely serious, strangely funny comedy. And it is as heartbreaking as it is funny, as endearing as it is heartbreaking, and a damn good play above all else. I'd love to see it performed, and whoever plays Mary will have the time, and the role, of her life.

The storm clouds in Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos' political dark comedy start massing right from the beginning, gathering force throughout the play until everything explodes in a brutal tornado of tragic consequences. Riveting stuff from start to finish, with big, juicy roles for 5 women.