Recommended by Alexander Perez

Parts Cuckoo's nest, Peter Pan, and Sarte; The Wonderful Out There tends to its characters' unique needs and tendencies with utmost care in the face of unthinkable tragedy. We see these kids thrive in their respective elements as the story reveals the circumstances that threatens to dim what makes them shine. perhaps forever.
It's a decision they'll have to make for themselves.

This play is beautiful in a painful way. That said, it does not inspire despair but rather it challenges one to love deeper in ways both radical and necessary.

My favorite Dave Osmundsen play yet.

Cathro's cast of lovers on the ropes paints a gallery of scenes from the desperate periods of unease that adorn every loving relationship that's built to go the distance- or not.

Much like any great concept album or song cycle, the scenes compliment one another with clever callbacks and recurring motifs that not only rewards the audience but indeed uses these scarce overlaps to bring forth genuine growth in it's characters and narrative.

A heartbreaking portrait of familial decay presented with gut-wrenching affection and tenderness. While lost in her cognitive tempest, Hortencia's children and husband can only do what they think is right. Often they disagree on what that means. What's most affecting is Cabrera's depiction of Hortencia's strength throughout her journey. It imbues her with an unflappable dignity and shows what we're willing to do to keep the ones closest to us safe. Even if we're the ones who need protection.

An audaciously silly play that pits our love for nature against our compulsive drive to destroy it in ways total and cruel.

Even with nature's glorious splendor on full display, is it too little to late to save the leaves?

A play that drowns its characters in the infinite depths of chronic depression. Smith's depiction of the loss of time, space, and self when one is in the throes of despair is truly frightening. Especially when it renders those who care for you most completely powerless to help. Finding light in the abyss is a big ask for someone adrift in the darkness.

A simmering slow burn that rewards patient readers with a world that is both meticulously constructed yet effortlessly executed. A love letter to the bittersweet reality that is working a shit job at a place you have genuine affection for. Herrera highlights the power structures and hardcoded injustices that plague retail, but also crafts a tender portrait of the unique relationships that grow from shared interest and mundane strife.

The closing days of Ray's reach a heart wrenching, if thematically appropriate, climax that honors its victim by reminding those it leaves behind that what they've lost was important and beautiful.

A darkly funny period piece in contemporary dress that peeks behind the shadow of one of histories' many male "martyrs" to reveal the savagery of their legacies while also exploring the moral implication of passively observing injustice to save your own skin in the face of craven, but vicious authority.

A winning continuation of Burke's Suncatchers series! I had the immense pleasure of seeing a live reading courtesy of The Civilians' R&D Group. This is a rare breed of sequel that gracefully introduces newcomers without encumbering the narrative with retread exposition. At the same time, those who experienced the first play are rewarded with oodles of contextual callbacks that support the unfolding narrative.

Though the world of The Two Twilights is as vast as it's predecessor, it's main conflict is deeply intimate and personal. The consequences however, threaten to destroy everyone and everything should peace fail to be preserved.

A sprawling epic that breaks new ground both mythic and theatrical while remaining firmly rooted to the earth that gives these characters so much vitality. Burke's poetic prose honors the play's grandeur yet manages to remain intimate, honest, and acrobatically alliterate. These plays deserve to be produced far and wide. Best of all, the show offers challenging but rewarding opportunities for every member of a production team; from creative to cast to crew.

Human, divine, and unapologetically queer, Suncatchers represents the dawn of a new era for theater.

Annie's great moment of retribution isn't as satisfying as she'd hoped it would be. It's hard to make a point if you're not taken seriously.

What good is a therapist if all they do is talk over you?