Recommended by Stephanie Alison Walker

The Burdens is so smart, so charming, so full of heart and so funny it makes you wish you had written it. But you didn't. Matt Schatz did and it shows. Because it's so smart, so charming, so full of heart so funny-- very on brand for Mr. Schatz. I absolutely adore this brother/sister relationship and love that they get their very own play that includes everything I mentioned above and also suspense! It made me laugh so hard I cried and also moved me to tears.

This is one of those plays that I know will stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm a mom to two young boys and man does Barclay get to the heart of a mother's deepest fears. I feel cracked wide open after reading this brilliant play. Ripe Frenzy explores the devastation dealt a mother of a school mass shooter in a way I've never seen and with such complexity and tenderness, it is absolutely tragic. I could go on and on about how brilliant Barclay is, but I am running out of space.

Vincent's writing is effortless and so powerful. I'm gobsmacked. Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids is must-see theatre. Looking for a play that directly addresses white savior-ism, white privilege, racism and all those uncomfortable truths it's hard for us white people to face and talk about? THIS is that play. I'd be shocked and disappointed if it's not programmed in multiple theaters asap. It's a play that pushes while thoroughly entertaining with dialogue that absolutely sings. It's what we need now.

Such a fun and inventive short Zoom play for these pandemic times. I laughed so hard at the witty and delicious dialogue. Wonderful roles for actors in this short super villain piece.

This is a deeply unsettling piece infused with such truth, terror and authenticity. It crackles with tension and pitch perfect dialogue. It firmly put my heart in my stomach and it has yet to move back into place. A haunting take on a quarantine piece that shines a flood light on domestic abuse in the time of Covid-19.

I love this play! Lions has magical realism, humor, ghost ships and brilliantly puts micro aggressions on display. It's a play I've never seen before and goes places I don't expect... which is what I always hope for but don't always see! Crowther's language, characters, humor and sharp dialogue has this piece really sing. It addresses gentrification and colonization in a fresh way with deep honesty. We need this play now. Read it, share it, produce it!

Minita is a gifted storyteller and her gifts are on full display in Muthaland. It's a powerfully moving piece about one woman forging her own path and identity - one that diverges from her culture's expectations. The piece is gripping and builds momentum through to the end - making you laugh and squeezing your heart along the way. I was deeply moved by Minita's fearlessness and found her work to be extremely truthful, powerful, and healing. It's a story that entertains and makes a difference.

Who knew a play about surviving a series of strokes could be not just a little funny but side-splitting funny and gut-punchingingly emotional?! Michael Shutt is that kind of magic storyteller. A Lesson In Swimming is wonderfully constructed, filled with devastating moments, important truths and lifts the curtain on invisible disability in an incredibly engaging and powerful way. Shutt takes us on a journey with this piece, entertains us and brings us inside his brain so we can see/feel/hear what he did when his "brain broke." It's an important story that is above all, life-affirming.

Such a sweet love story filled with hope and truths about aging and letting go of the past. The premise - using Say Anything as a way in is clever and funny and ultimately really touching. Two wonderful roles for seniors. Produce it!

Anthropomorphized ladybugs! Anthropocentric thinking! This is a delightful ten-minute meditation on death, life, relationships and the existence of a higher power. The quiet of the ending feels just right.