Recommended by Audrey Lang

I had the chance to read this play as a reader for the Jewish Plays Project's 15th Contest, and appreciated seeing a story that I haven't frequently seen told: a modern-day Jewish family living in poverty. A really theatrical and engaging play and I look forward to its future life! #JPP15thContest

This play is a true page-turner! Its teenage voices are authentic and hyper-intelligent; I love that the playwright allows them to be smart, strong, and complicated young women. It was so cool to see a play with a Jewish backdrop but where Judaism was not something restrictive but a major part of their lives that these characters loved and enjoyed. So glad I got to read this play for #JPP15thContest and excited to see its future life!

This is a powerful exploration of intimacy and understanding ourselves -- I was really moved reading it by the way characters are allowed to be messy and imperfect and sometimes even awful, but wholly human and real.

As soon as I finished this play, I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again. The longing that all three of these women feel is so clear and urgent throughout, and it's a relief when they make enough of a connection with each other that they get a brief reprieve from the intensity of that longing. I would love to see a production of this play - the language and the actions are both so theatrical and real-time, in the moment.

I saw this on Broadway recently and given its many Tony nominations, today felt like a great day to write a recommendation! I love its authentic teenage dialogue, and that it doesn't leave its adult characters by the wayside either -- all the people in this play, of all ages, are compelling and intriguing to follow. The character of Beth in particular has a fascinating and complex journey. This play stayed with me, and I have continued to think about this story and reflect on it weeks later.

I was struck by how many of the lines in this play are inner thoughts - this play is an interesting look at how much is going on "behind-the-scenes" of those small moments of human connection and interaction.

I appreciated this story of two women finding common ground and even friendship, and the way that you can feel the tension of the political landscape they meet in throughout. The ending is so well foreshadowed that while it is shocking when it happens, it's not a surprise. A really well-written play that is historical something-more-than-fiction.

BLOOD ON MY MOTHER'S APRON is a thoughtful (and well-researched!) look at a challenging historical figure and, in particular, her daughter. Leighson embraces the complexities of Polly Dyer's life and utilizes a combination of court transcripts and original text to create a compelling story. I was thrilled to feature BLOOD ON MY MOTHER'S APRON and playwright Rachel Leighson on my podcast "Favorite Child"! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rachel-leighson-complicated-women…

Eight Nights is a beautifully constructed play delving into longstanding and generational trauma. Though so much comes to mind, so much has already been said in the numerous existing recommendations for this play! This is an extremely theatrical piece that doesn't shy away from difficult conversations, despite the central character's own resistance to having the most difficult one.

This is a thought-provoking play on so many levels, among them race and art. It's a highly visual play that would be so fascinating to see staged. I also found it very compelling to watch Sarai's journey in finding herself -- something that felt surprising and unique, as so often stories follow students discovering identity, not their teachers.