Recommended by Doug DeVita

Asher Wyndham packs quite a punch in "The Platypodes," a rare full-length that delivers on the promise of his exquisite monologues with exquisite force. A divisive subject matter, a clear point of view, and – especially – memorable characters with aching wants and needs make this a work that lingers long after one's read it. And I suspect, after one has seen it once it gets produced. Which it should be. Often.

Dreamlike. Nightmarish. Surreal. And terrifyingly realistic in its depiction of a terrifyingly possible inevitability. Using an evocative mix of poetic language and stream of consciousness dialogue, Goldfinger once again hits a bullseye capturing contemporary angst, in a work that is both beautiful and horrifying. And oh, so prescient.

Hewing closely to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's 1818 novel, Marjorie Bicknell's elegant adaptation of "Frankenstein" eschews the "Hollywood Fright-Fest" standards now associated with this tale in favor of a more psychological approach, which gives it a terror all its own: the terror of a mounting sense of irreversible dread. Compassionate and agonizingly poignant, Bicknell's version – one of her earliest works – cuts right to the heart of the story, and then breaks yours with the utter simplicity of her storytelling. I'd LOVE to see this produced again. It deserves new life.

John Minigan's "Thank You, Two" is a petite gem that perfectly captures the bittersweet awkwardness of burgeoning teen romance. Minigan has written a beautifully layered and textured piece, and in the process has created two great roles for teen actors to sink their teeth into. Wonderfully charming work.

In less than a page, Weaver captures the primal urges of childhood that follow us throughout our lives, and does it with tons of glee, very few words, and overwhelming joy.

Pre-conceived notions of all kinds get thrown into the simmering stew that is Susan Cinoman's peppery, delicious romantic comedy "Hungarian Rhapsody," and like all good dishes, the natural flavors of the raw ingredients are completely transformed when the dish is done. A wonderfully wry work, Cinoman keeps adding layers of flavor and texture, makes us care for her characters – particularly the prickly Angala – and their unfulfilled dreams, and there is a terrific sense of both the old-world and the contemporary in her use of language throughout. A lovely, funny, warm, and spicy fable. Read, and produce it.

JESUS GOD! "Click" will shake you up, toss you around, chew you to pieces, and spit you out, it's that fucking good! Goldfinger's creative use of language, and her darkly funny, spot-on sense of our mania for current technology and where it is taking us makes this a must-read, must-produce work. Stunning.

All the little things that can make up a relationship, a memory, an annoyance, a life history, an afternoon... dovetail and build beautifully into a perfectly realized gem of a 10-minute play. Lyrically realistic, with liberal doses of humor and sadness, Vince Gatton's "Status Update" is simply beautiful.

ETA (11/11/2020) And now that I've read the entire series of plays that make up the extended world of Gatton's full-length YOU HAVE EARNED BONUS STARS, I want to add there's even more meaning and heartbreak knowing how perfectly it fits into the events depicted in this epic saga.

A wonderful coming of age story, at once both contemporary and ageless, and so relatable to any one who has ever had to grow from the safety of one's upbringing into the world at large in order to realize one's dreams, as well as who they are and their place in the world. Beautiful. (BTW and FYI: listening to The Kreutzer Sonata while reading it gives an added depth to the experience.)

David MacGregor's cautionary tale is a funny, touching, and thought-provoking comedy-drama that shines a spotlight precisely where its protagonist "hero," the titular late, great Henry Boyle, doesn't want it: on the effects of un-wanted fame, and the relatively simple joys of living one's life as a non-entity.