Recommended by Doug DeVita

Evan Peterson's "Smaller Floods" is a haunting, poetic, and beautiful reminder that nourishment comes in many forms and is not only necessary for ecological survival, it is necessary for humanity's soul, as well.

Jesus God, what a harrowing 10-minutes from Bill Triplett. What on the surface may seem like a scene from a procedural is actually a layered, loaded, and intensely disturbing account of emotions simmering for so long they can’t help but boil over in an explosion of hurt no matter the personal cost. Extraordinary work.

The angry paranoia is strong in this one. But who among us has not shared work, thoughts, ideas, etc... in any group setting, and then not seen our stuff co-opted by someone else, no matter how vaguely? Can it be ascribed to the collective unconscious, or is it theft of intellectual property? That’s the premise of Ken Preuss’ astute short play, and the nerve that he hits like a bullseye here. And it’s a nerve that’s directly connected to the funny bone. Paranoia can be hilarious, right? Of course right.

Hilarious premise, hilarious characters, hilarious dialogue, hilarious play. As a fan of film noir, I love every single moment, and marvel at how perfectly Minigan captures and honors the form, and still makes it, well, hilarious.

This is one of the most truthful dissections of the racial and class systems that have run the world for centuries; that Shaw skillfully portrays the horror of our (lack of) humanity with engaging characters and a sure sense of humor lifts the play and keeps it from being preachy. Thought provoking, even sad about the seemingly never ending hopelessness of It all... but never preachy. And that makes it a necessary work for now. And unfortunately, probably always.

Noise is used to stunning effect in Greg Burdick's "Monessen Falls:" the annoyingly persistent sound of Cicadas as they complete their mating cycle, the ominous, low rumbles of thunder growing into a massive storm, and the never-ending pounding of memory and heartache as two brothers, estranged for 17 years, must face the noise of their past as they stumble to a form of resolution and redemption, which in turn is signified by the noise of a keyboard clicking forward to a hopeful future. A beautifully written play that makes a joyful, if intense, noise all its own.

Another Gacinskian mix of poetry and drama, perfectly capturing the teenage angst that can boil over into the rage that kills. A heartbreaking cautionary monologue that took my breath away.

Vivid characters and intensely passionate writing make CRACKED a must read; as others have said, I'm looking forward to watching this play move forward. Deray is a talent to be watched.

Absurdly wonderful, wonderfully absurd, magically heightened language, language heightened magically... Adam Szymkowicz' "The Wooden Heart" is an insanely entertaining twist on the fable/folktale genre, with a beating, flesh and blood heart that keeps the show joyously alive from beginning to end.

Sweet, funny, yet trenchant observation of how to age (and how not to) in America today. As always, O’Neill-Butler’s characters are beautifully layered, and I would love to knock back a few bourbons with Gail.