Recommended by Libby Heily

That opening. I was invested from the start. The play is eerie and dark and funny and claustrophobic. The more Julian feels trapped, the more we do as well. Liv is the character who drew me in hardest. A child raised in a cult who has never left the compound. Who is she, who will she grow up to be? You feel like everyone is fighting for their own and every other character's souls. Huge stakes and plenty of reveals.

Let's talk about Quiche. It's uproariously funny, deliciously wicked, sinfully silly, and full of lines and stage directions that will make you laugh out loud. It can be done with a small budget, a huge budget, in a black box or a large theater and it will work every time. Brandon has written something special.

I watched a reading of Kill Shelter on Youtube from the Valdez Theater Conference. Thoroughly enjoyed it. The interior thoughts of the pets blew me away - a surreal element that expressed the sheer terror of being human through the lens of discarded and injured pets. The characters felt like people I'd met many times in my life and yet remained distinct and unique to this world. Incredibly well done piece.

Red Bike feels like a dream, wispy and meaty all at once. Much to latch on to and still ethereal. I feel like if I read it a second time, it will be a whole different experience. Through very few words, you understand the world completely and the character and you yearn to know more.

I saw this play and I was blown away. I repeated lines from it for the next few days, thought about it, talked about it, and was sad I caught it at the end of the run. I wish I'd been able to see it a few more times. There's a raw energy in the ending that's difficult to pull off.

This play made me an instant fan of Charly Evon Simpson. The subject matter is gripping and heart breaking and Simpson never once flinches. She lets us see the cruelty in full force. There is also tenderness and love. I was lucky enough to see this at Ensemble Studio Theatre. I think this should be done in every state of the US at the bare minimum.

This play has a lot of twists and turns. There's so much for the director and actors to explore. I'd love to see the flashlights used to expose slivers of truth much like the script does.