Recommended by Stephanie Alison Walker

Something that seems so absurd at first glance- Santa's reindeers being replaced by dolphins- makes so much sense in a world without glaciers. For all the charm and humor and laugh out loud moments (there are plenty and I don't want to spoil them by calling them out,) it's really a touching story about forbidden love and a cautionary tale about global warming.

A sexy, feminist, punk rock play about love that hurts, self-worth and artistic integrity filled with complex characters. I leaned in from the start and would love to see this story come to life with the music screaming from the stage. I kind of felt like Burbano shot this story into our veins because I felt it in my blood. "You love having your heart broken" is a line I'll be thinking about for a long time.

No Place Like Gandersheim is a riveting story with modern themes, humor and poignancy that surprises and delights. Dement has carefully constructed this time travel play about nuns and women and Hollywood and playwrights and I don't know how she does it, but it all works and is all extremely relatable - both the medieval and the modern story. This is- refreshingly- a play I've never seen before and one I hope to see fully produced.

Turning Over is a rich, complex and moving story that stays with you long after leaving the theater. Jeanette has woven a beautiful tapestry in this highly theatrical work that fuses video games, war and the emotional battlefields fought at home. It's a play I would love to see come alive- with real and exciting challenges for a crackerjack design team. The timeliness of the issues addressed here demands that it be seen sooner than later.

The play about the Me Too movement and the entertainment industry that we not only need, but deserve. What I love about ABIGAIL is its layers, humor, extremely well-drawn characters and its surprises. Tuft's writing had me on the edge of my seat-- laughing, squealing, cringing and gasping. I love that it never feels like an "issue play" but it is absolutely so present and now and needed. I especially appreciate the exploration of an artist's responsibility in storytelling as explored through Arthur Miller's Crucible. Produce this! Please. I'm a big fan!

I saw a reading of The Way North at The Road theatre in Los Angeles and am not at all surprised to see how far this play is going. Tira has crafted a beautiful, poetic and poignant story with such clear place, characters and stakes. I saw the reading months ago, but can still see all the images in my mind. That's what her work does, it evokes specific pictures, settings and people- brings them alive. The Way North is a play for today- about the politics of today, told through the characters with such heart.

Full disclosure: Deb Hiett is one of my favorite comedic writers and this short piece has her talent on full display. It's so funny and specific - giving a unique view of the behind-the-scenes of a commercial shoot where egos go to thrive unchecked or die of humiliation. Such delicious roles for actors.

Packed with humor, wonderful storytelling, feminism, history and self-awareness, DESERT SURVIVAL RULES has an immediacy that is inescapable. It delivers a deliciously imaginative and poignant punch. Fenbert's writing is so vivid that I get thirsty just thinking about this play. This piece is a dream and a marvelous challenge for an actor to sink their teeth into.

Yet again, Brandli has given us another devastatingly truthful, endlessly entertaining, searingly poetic and dazzling reclamation of a Greek myth. This, like her others, is filled with wonderful roles for women. Visiting Hours is an intensely moving play about mental health and the long and lasting repercussions of abuse. We laugh because Brandli is brilliant at finding the humor in the darkness and we cry because Brandli writes characters that we love and care about immediately.

Fantastic short two-hander about the repercussions of bullying. I love how it goes to unexpected places. It's a short piece that accomplishes so much in such a small space. It's suspenseful and dark and funny and daring and has a satisfying ending. A great piece for actors. Would love to see it come to life.