Recommended by Adam Richter

[2025-07-08]
It's hard to call any play about brain injury "fun," but I don't know what else to call this entertaining, highly theatrical play about a man lying in a hospital bed whose mind takes him into the world of a '90s sitcom. The worlds that Brent Alles has created here pull the audience in to Matt's dual realities. Too many works use the "it's all in the main character's head" as the twist; Alles uses it as a launch pad to a funny and heartfelt story.

[2025-07-03]
The people who come into our lives, however briefly, never really leave us. Scott Sickles' lovely two-hander shows how the fate of a childhood peer affected the two characters in profound ways. "Fade to White" is a terrific play for two older actors, giving them lots of room to plumb the depths of their characters.

[2025-07-02]
Underneath Sam Heyman's funny and endearing play about coming out is a searing indictment of our life-as-mass-entertainment society. The idea that personal rites of passage are fodder for public consumption is as old as (if not older) than "My Super Sweet 16." Heyman pops that particular balloon with comedic skill and a profound message that will resonate with people of any age who are struggling with their identity. This is a lovely play that I can't wait to hear performed.

[2025-06-27]
I am a sucker for plays about ancestors, and Sam Heyman's "Ghost of Shabbos Past" is a gem. This 10-minute play is a warm, funny piece that explores what it means to really understand what we owe our ancestors, and what they can teach us. Heartwarming and witty, "Ghost of Shabbos Past" is a great addition to any short-play festival, regardless of the holiday season.

[2025-06-26]

The universe that Scott Sickles builds here is rich in detail, terrifying and all-too-recognizable as one we might soon inhabit. But while the play is set in a secondary world, the core issues — treatment of trans people, children going missing, the evaporation of LGBTQ+ rights — are viscerally recognizable in our own world, in our own timeline. "Tesseract" is yet another brilliant play from Scott that needs to be read, seen and felt.

[2025-06-22]

Craig Houk has given us a touching and highly theatrical story of two men whose lives intersect briefly but profoundly. I loved the staging, which I could easily picture, but more than that I loved getting to know André and Lou, two remarkable people whose relationship grows in unexpected yet completely natural ways. This was a delight to read and I would love to see it on stage.

[2025-06-17]

There is a lyrical beauty to this heart-rending tragedy of a play. Franky Gonzalez's tale of an affair that unravels a "happy" marriage makes the most of the absolute least: minimal staging, no scene changes and, most impressively, 2 actors playing the 3 people in a love triangle. Gonzalez examines what it means to be happy with someone, and what happens when a partner no longer can give what they pledged. In this spare story audiences, actors and designers have lots to explore.

[2025-06-14]

This play is a balm to anyone who creates. The inner editor can be a harsh critic (mine is a real asshole), but Sam Heyman reminds us there are other voices inside our heads that deserve attention. Any audience member can identify with the playwright in this piece and can take away an encouraging lesson about creative instincts and knowing when to listen to ourselves, and when to silence those voices.

[2025-06-14]
In my mind's eye I can see John Mabey scrolling through random Wikipedia articles, happening upon a page describing the mating habits of snails, and thinking: I can use this.

Right as usual, because "The Legend of Snails" is a delightful and charming — to say nothing of educational — romantic comedy that hits all the right notes as we see the dynamic between Sophie and Tess shift as they stroll the canal. I loved watching their relationship evolve at anything but a snail's pace.

[2025-06-09]
Lisa Delagiarino Feriend has done the impossible: She has made the idea of spending long stretches of time in a hot tub seem appealing.
Of course, it helps to have strong, dynamic characters, crackling dialogue and an inspired plot that make it easy to forget the dangers of pruning.
The fact that it's a two-hander is all the more impressive; Laura and Scott have a great dynamic that evolves naturally and to hilarious effect.
I loved this play and audiences no doubt will too.