Recommended by Katherine Varga

  • I'm Not Okay (short)
    25 Oct. 2020
    Laugh out loud funny while also perfectly criticizing the exorbitant cost of higher ed. I would love this play even if I didn't have MCR on repeat this pandemic. It's a quick read and a crowd pleaser - please read and produce!!
  • Ghosted! (ten-minute)
    19 Nov. 2019
    This play is pure delight!! I was literally laughing out loud on every page. In a few tightly crafted pages, Matthews masterfully captures the angst of Gen Z dating and the warmth (and Joy!?) of friendship. If you liked Booksmart, you'll love this. Please read and please produce!
  • 1900s Women Bonding
    3 Nov. 2019
    As usual, Weingarten's details and humor are spot on. This anachronistic send-up of The Yellow Wallpaper is as eerie as it is delightful.
  • The Christmas Special
    24 May. 2019
    Hendel creates a world of dark rituals, homemade food, and rich companionship so compelling that when a more recognizable outside world creeps in, you find yourself hoping a cannibalistic Santa will come in and save the day. This play got belly laughs out of me, as well as somber contemplation at the lengths Barbara must go to live on her own terms. I especially enjoyed the use of Christmas songs to advance the narrative- I now prefer many of Hendel's revamped lyrics over the originals!
  • The Evolution of Rattlesnakes
    24 May. 2019
    Through evocative language and rich characterization, Egdorf grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the final reveal. This play masterfully captures the dynamics of small town life, the pervasive danger of insidious men, and the power of women who demand the most from life for themselves and for each other. It has forever changed how I think about rattlesnakes.
  • FREE COFFEE AND DONUTS
    24 May. 2019
    I had the pleasure of seeing a well-received reading of this play at Geva Theatre. I was amazed by the range of emotions Gros evokes in a short amount of time: from pure delight for the way her compelling women characters go out of their way to support each other, to anguish at ChiChi's inability to accept the help she so desperately needs and deserves. I can't wait to see what's next for this play.
  • Stitched with a Sickle and a Hammer
    30 Apr. 2019
    I was fortunate enough to see a workshop production of this play at Ohio University. Wow. I can't remember the last time a piece of theater made my heart race as much as the final scene of this play did. Tsyrlin masterfully handles layers of meta-theatricality in this play about a theater troupe putting on The Seagull as part of a Potemkin village. Both intimate and epic, this play balances the harsh reality of the gulag with moments of humor and humanity. It deserves many more productions.
  • Bury the Rest
    29 Apr. 2019
    Bury the Rest is both timely and timeless. Opening with a ripped-from-the-headlines tragedy, this play expands to explore grief, death, and how to love someone whose worldview you hate. Heavy topics, but the language is full of wit and humor, and the characters demand your attention. I especially love Lucy's magical post-life monologues and Margot's magnetic ferocity. This play has outstanding roles and monologues for women. Also, that ENDING. Oh my god. Read this play.
  • And Vaster
    21 Apr. 2019
    I can't recommend the Play4Keeps recording of this play highly enough. It will make you laugh out loud, fall in love with the characters, and question your own life choices. It will also make you desperately want to see a full production of this deeply moving play.
  • Burning (Or, Like a Sitcom)
    13 Mar. 2019
    I was lucky enough to see this performed in Midnight Madness at Ohio University a year ago and I'm still in awe of the spell it cast over the audience. In just a few pages, Egdorf creates an incredibly vivid and dangerous world. The use of the laugh track is absolutely haunting.

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