Recommended by Adam Bertocci

Admirably lives up to the juiciness of its premise. There's a fun line or two on every page; the dialogue crackles, and there are great big speeches for three women, all of which would be a fantastic treat for the right actors.

The concept of setting a play on Halloween with all the decorations etc. is irresistible—I don’t think I’ve ever seen that on stage, and it gels nicely with the show playing out largely in real time. All the elements work nicely in concert.

Caught this in New York; a must for anyone who loves playing with the classics, of course, with a strain of metatheatre I hadn't known about. A sly and literate meditation on life, love, art and what it all means.

Earlier this year I saw an excellent production of The Crucible and spent the night Googling it alongside #MeToo. So of course this play intrigued me, but I worried, is this going to be a gimmick… Well, it’s no gimmick. The characters feel real and are unfailingly given time to breathe, bond, explore, interact, even be flawed, not just trot out prepackaged political positions. Works as a companion piece to The Crucible but doesn't require the audience to know it chapter-and-verse. All this and, for extra literary fun, a shoutout to my favorite Walt Whitman line.

When early Tarantino meets the Peter Dinklage scene from “Living in Oblivion”, you get this wonderfully unusual two-hander. Somewhere out there is an actor who's been waiting for a part like Vince; I hope that part finds him.

Short but sweet, with deeply recognizable characters, this is sure to touch the heart of anyone whose parents are getting older.

A strong and sad piece about grief and loss. The character is recognizable and clear, whether she's talking about what the piece is really about or on one of her many digressions. I could see this making a remarkable showcase for a female actor who wants to self-produce something.

How wonderful to read a piece about a front-page issue where the characters aren’t mouthpieces or opportunities for the author to lecture, but three-dimensional people. Involving and surprising; even the reversals and surprises that the author promises provide real opportunities for thought beyond the shock factor. Beth Kander takes the harder road less traveled with these characters, and the play is richer for it.

Something about the prior recommendations told me I'd like this… and they were right. Real laughs sit comfortably alongside a condensed philosophy lesson brought on by a flash of insight that takes full and wise advantage of the short-play format. I'll be looking into more of August's work.

Amusing, brilliant, clever, delightful, electrifying! An extended game of logic and verbal dexterity that's something like Alice in Wonderland meets Monty Python.