Recommended by Jordan Bird

How fitting that I came across this play on what should have been Trayvon Martin's 23rd birthday. I DON'T WANT TO BE took my breath away -- both with its emotional intensity and with the depth of its poetry. The narrative image of Nana quilting with images of the deceased is heartbreaking and hopeful. Theatrical, lyrical, honest, heart-rending. This beautiful play is profoundly good.

Wow. This adaptation of a classic story blew me away. Pia Wilson beautifully reveals the history of these characters in carefully-placed, conversational ways -- this play is taut, fine-tuned, razor-sharp. The transitions would be an exciting project for scene and lighting designers; and these characters are so deep and precise, they would be a joy for actors. This would be a stunning play to see staged. Totally gorgeous. I can't wait to encounter more of Wilson's work.

"We find ourselves wondering, [...] If they weren't here, would we be better people?" ---- A chilling, haunting close look at what humans are capable of doing to Others, from exoticizing them to "reprogramming" them to, ultimately, destroying them. This is the power of science fiction: it casts light on the darkest corners of our human nature. Cozzola's adaptation of Urbanski's short story is breathtaking -- grand theatricality that would work as well in a no-set black box production or with elaborate sets and costuming. WHEN THEY CAME is a truly special work of theatre that will stick with you.

Ah! This play is so spooky and upsetting and unsettling and terrific. Ultimately, this is a play about power -- which, in my mind, is one of the most frightening motivators of all. Cassidy has a deft hand with these characters, slowly unveiling different layers of the twisted, dark underbelly of these relationships.

Wyndham's work is daring and uncomfortable -- exactly the sort of theatre I want to see. Here, as with his other work, he digs deep into a moment of life; in this case, a moment in the life of a sex worker and new mom. I love Janey: I love her fierceness, her unflinching anger, and her drive. This is powerful theatre: putting names to the nameless in our culture and giving us a venue to hear their stories, maybe for the first time. A terrific, challenging role for an actress.

Totally hilarious and sweet -- a terrific idea with fun characters that make ridiculous, theatrical choices. I love these three sisters (catching a cat with bologna on a fishing pole, I mean come on -- it doesn't get better than that), and I love Dona Cuca, too. A perfect fit for a short play festival. Four great roles for Latina actresses.

Funny and sweet -- France-Luce Benson nails the nuances of mother-daughter relationships with seeming effortlessness. I love Claire and Manu; the defenses they've put up with each other are recognizable and specific, which makes it so satisfying and heartening when you start to see those defenses come down.

Ah, this play! FLY, BABY is like a short song of hope in the dark. It's funny, quirky, fantastical, sweet. I'm so in it with Miranda and Ariel -- their surface conflict is light and a little silly, but beneath it are deep waters of love and sadness and hope. And there's something about seeing a lovely trans Toothfairy comforting and encouraging an emotionally-exhausted Santa that did something to my heart. Gina Femia has caught four characters in moments of subtle but powerful change in a clever, nuanced way. Terrific.

What a stunning short play. Kaczmarek dives deep into one aspect of a complex, heartbreaking world -- the disorienting, impossible world of those who have survived violence. Charlie and Jordan are doing the best they can, and they're doing it together. This play is full of hope, gentleness, and the fierceness of two characters who are choosing to say Yes to life, moment to moment as the fireworks explode outside. Excellent character study for two actors of any gender.

This play is hilarious, and so sweet, and so timely. I did not expect my heart to be warmed by these engaging, curious characters, but I found myself so *in it* with them. Encapsulating the disorientation of being young and finding your place in the world within the body of an extraterrestrial character was a stroke of brilliance -- because we have all been in Arugula and Charlotte's shoes because high school is The Worst. Harris packs so much into this play - conservationism, longing, despair, and kinship. I love this play. I fully hope to see it onstage someday.