Recommended by Alexander Perez

If you ever attended theater camp as someone who wasn't "lead" material, let this be your trigger warning for this piece. Only Small Actors sucks us back in time to when the cast list for Bye-Bye Birdie Jr. meant the difference between life and death, when Theater Camp politics could break your spirit, when love first blooms and it's not quite what you expected it to be.

This play, like the theater, hurts as much as it offers hope. People grow up, but do they change?

A magnificent analysis of personal boundaries and familial love that questions our expectations of our loved ones and what, if any, compromises should be made to keep them in our lives. Osmundsen’s characters fumble and trip over each other’s needs with clumsy care, cutting deep where they don’t mean to, and struggling figure out how they can make it all okay again. A fascinating collision of desires.

An intimate steel cage match of beliefs that overlap, collide, and deceive as what should have been a nice evening among old friends devolves into conflict as ideological resentments and shocking revelations bubble to the surface. When all is said and done however Diaz-Marcano still finds a path to reconciliation amidst the carnage and scorched earth. A testament to our capacity for forgiveness and an important reminder that not all is lost.

A superbly crafted misadventure that goes off the rails in ways hysterical and surprising. Mesri's hybrid slang and reverse translation are the stuff of genius. Not since A Clockwork Orange has a natural patois melded so effortlessly with a text. The characters are so vibrant and specific to their own desires that even amongst the deconstruction of language context is never lost but rather elevated to heights never before possible with mere English. There's so much to unpack here in regards to cultural identity, patriotism, colorism, and masculinity. A fascinatingly dense opus that isn't afraid of a happy ending.

This piece presents us with something resembling a still image of a large explosion. Standing back you see the full scope of the carnage, the destruction, the fury. But if you can move a little closer and see the decaying wood that makes up the rubble, the kerosene and spent match, the beating heart of the inferno. Hurt people hurt people; Larry is no different.

A decidedly intense comedy that shows no mercy. Dellagiarino's quips slice and dice through past trauma and present betrayal not once sacrificing humor for emotional heft.

A visceral exploration of trauma, systemic violence, and the finer details that can be lost in the shuffle when looking at a bigger picture. A much needed portrayal of the impotent rage inside us all that burns ever brighter in the face of overarching injustice. Espinosa's fearless narrative challenges it's characters on a deep and personal level leading up to a climax that left my jaw on the floor. This is one for the books.

Gonzalez teases us over the course of this tense and frequently uncomfortable tale of love and it's many permutations being careful to drip feed revelations at a steady enough pace to keep you wanting more but never enough to blow the story wide open. An emotionally perilous journey of discovery for both characters aching to know more and wishing they'd never asked in the first place.

Osmundsen elegantly weaves a rich dual narrative exploring neurodiversity from two parallel but experiences that dovetail and burst apart in artful ways that highlight not only the individual character arcs but amplify all of the everyday life challenges that complicate their self discovery and acceptance along the way. While both journey's are rife with sharp commentary on being a neurodivergent creative, I was moved by William in particular who perfectly captured the relief, anger, and frustration that comes with the sudden contextualization of one's behavior. A phenomenal story that explores neurodiversity with heart, care, and dignity. No BS.

A refreshing take on family, military service, and identity that doesn't rely on trauma or toxicity to make it's point that existing as an other of any sort (queer, conscientious objector, or otherwise) is an uphill battle. Williams shows that even with a full family's support, there is a greater societal adjustment that clashes with internal beliefs in traditions, despite the love you may have for someone. It's such a thrill to watch this family hit ideological walls in their belief systems and grapple with them in intimate and surprising ways. So glad this is getting the production it deserves!