Recommended by Doug DeVita

On the eve of the 2016 election, three college friends, now all in their early 30s, reunite and all hell breaks loose. Fast, funny, and deeply divisive in the best possibly theatrical way, “The Diplomats” has taken on even deeper meaning and urgency as we race towards another election, one that could potentially have worse repercussions than the last. This is is a major work that needs to be seen, as Diaz-Marcano skillfully hits every opinionated nail on the head with blunt, but eloquent precision.

Another stunner from Nick Malakhow; I marvel at his skill at encompassing huge themes indirectly via compassionately drawn characters, sharp and incisive dialogue, and absolutely no wasted moments. A marvelous short play.

Breathtaking in its simplicity, and gut-wrenching in its humanity, this is a beautiful monologue about an all too common occurrence these days, written with O'Grady's customary elegance and style. Moving, and unfortunately, necessary.

Jesus God I loved every single fucking word of this monologue. Femia captures all the Catholic School Student feels like an acid flashback: all the rage, the feelings of inadequacy, the disbelief at the whole Goddamned hypocrisy of the religion, all of it spilling off the page with gorgeous venom. A truly stunning, and truthful, arrow to the heart. And wonderfully freeing.

The playful juxtapositions of light comedy and dark themes, the heightened story-telling, and the sheer poetry of the language used have all convinced me that Nelson Diaz-Marcano may very well be the reincarnation of Moliere. What a wonderfully theatrical, thought provoking fantasy.

Jo Brisbane visualizes those classically irascible, lovably lower class honeymooners Ralph, Alice, Ed, and Trixie through a 21st century lens, and they ain't as pretty as they used to be. Using these classic characters to great effect, Brisbane makes great points about about the current anger fueling the US in this scathingly funny dark comedy.

Provocative. Hilarious. Surreal. Absurd. Pretentious. Satirical. It's "Dick Pix." If the traditional, well-made play is your thing, read this at your own peril, but should you take up the challenge, be prepared for a wild ride that will leave you shaken, bruised, questioning everything, and exhilarated from Daniel McCoy's risky, ballsy approach to gender identity and artistic integrity, and the sheer bizarre freshness of it all.

Gemma Cooper-Novack's "Break" is a a powerful and irresistible force of a play. Moving backwards in time, it nonetheless gains an ever-increasing forward momentum, mostly from Cooper-Novack's compellingly human characters and their heartbreaking story, but also because one becomes so invested in these woman and how they ended up, one has to find out how they began. Beautifully handled, all the way.

Tuesdays suck. Especially when a meteorite is hurtling toward Earth with the promise of wiping out all life. But when ya got only two minutes left on a terrible Tuesday, sipping a macchiato and reading Steven G. Martin's "It's an Espresso Drink with Foamy Steamed Milk" is great way to go out. With a smile on your face, and hopefully a foamy mustache.

James Armstrong's highly theatrical take on "A Christmas Carol," using only two actors (one playing Scrooge, and one playing Dickens playing all the other characters) is a work of genius, and will be a field day for the two performers given the opportunity to play with this play. I loved every single word and convention used to tell this familiar tale in a refreshing new way, and even more, I would love to see it staged. What fun!