Recommended by Audrey Lang

In "Giant Slalom," Jess Honovich drops us into a hyper-competitive world with specifics that most people might not know, but the circumstances are instantly clear through her sharp dialogue and exciting characters. Each plot twist was thrilling as I didn't see it coming, but as soon as it had happened, it made total sense. The play also uses place in such an interesting way, even with its very specific setting. I would love to see a production of this play!

This is the second play of Charly Evon Simpson's that I've read (in 24 hours... I got a little excited), and I love how much respect she gives her young teen/tween characters, a demographic that so often feels ignored, brushed off, or not written/depicted as real people onstage. Amali is daring, deep, and determined, a fabulously nuanced character that an actor would be so lucky to play.

This is the play about childhood trauma that needs to be known. It speaks to me both as a survivor of a similar type of trauma and as someone who has spent hours on the phone or on the kitchen floor or in Facebook messages with friends who have. I have been Willa, Faulkner, and Julie, in some way or another, and they are painful, gripping, and realistic. I could not stop reading, could not take my eyes off the page, and I would move mountains to see a production of this play.

"Rain and Zoe Save the World" is an inspiring play that is hopeful amidst hopeless circumstances. As focused as it may be on the two title characters and their stories, both together and apart, its world is expansive and exciting. As a piece about global warming and the politicization of science, I appreciate how well those themes are woven into the emotional arc - as a reader, I emerge with an awareness of the gravity of the situation and an impetus to make change, but not at the cost of a deeply moving story.

The two different time zones that Sara and Lis live in, even as they may be right next to each other, create a powerful metaphor for two people who keep missing each other, not just figuratively, but literally, too. This play is a wonderful depiction of both a complex mother-daughter relationship, and the challenges of being a working mother in a demanding dream career.

This play is daring, dramatic, and as relatable as it is out of this world. I am so impressed by the depths of both Chloe Xtina's imagination and her characters'. I have a burning desire to see a production of this play - more than anything, I want to know which of the awesome stage pictures I've envisioned "correctly" (whatever that means), and which might be interpreted wholly differently. One of the most truly, mindbogglingly unique plays I've ever read.

Alongside a compelling story, with several threads that get weaved together in the most intriguing yet inevitable way, "< 3" has an incredible sense of pace that kept me constantly engaged. The young characters feel authentically young even as they are trying to grow up faster than they should have to. I would love to see this play performed.

This play speaks truth in a striking way that feels like a gut punch. I couldn't take my eyes off the page and actually had to make myself slow down while reading so that I didn't miss anything - though what I really wanted was to take it all in as quickly as I could. I will be thinking about "Man of God" for a long time.

A lot of plays have magic, but few truly feel magical even in the moments that are part of "reality." Hayley St. James's "For Leonora, or, Companions" depicts and discusses two kinds of spectrums - I also love the way they used that parallel terminology - but it's the development of a relationship and the exploration of imagination that is really the focus of the story arc. I appreciate that St. James's queer autistic characters are allowed to express and explore their identities in a play that is, at its core, about finding your person.

An AWESOME Macbeth adaptation that is hilarious, terrifying, and poignant as it both illustrates the original story for me in a brand-new way, and tells an entirely new and thrilling story. And as someone who attended an elite magnet school on the east coast, the fierce competition among these teenagers is wildly familiar to me! I would love to see both the dynamic characters and the daring stage magic in this play come to life.