Recommended by Vince Gatton

I love storytelling as a dramatic action -- see Conor MacPherson's The Weir -- and its virtues are on beautiful display here. A good ghost story is its own reward, of course, but a smart dramatist understands that that's not enough -- there has to be a reason the teller is relating the story, and something they're trying to achieve by doing so. Jeffrey James Keyes is in fact a smart dramatist, so this seemingly casual stem-winding exercise proves to be something far more purposeful than it first appears. A little spooky, a lot humane, Southies is a cozy-creepy pleasure.

The details of autistic teen Bob's relationship to (and with) his Broadway idol are specific and unique; the longing, elation, euphoria, doubt, and heartbreak that flow from it are universal and deeply relatable. This sordid tale of adulation, exploitation, and rejection is told with the gift of hindsight, but also through the twin lenses of the main character's youth and autism - his relationships to his parents and his alleged best friend Chloe make for complicated dramas in their own right. Wittily fictionalized but feeling gut-churningly real, the engaging LET ME KNOW IF I HURT YOU leaves a mark.

A no-longer-so-young woman in a swimsuit in a winter living room is the striking opening image of this lovely meditation on time, late middle-age, and choices. Melinda's newfound lack of fucks to give is a joy to witness, as she firmly parries the shaming thrusts her older sister Robin dishes out. The lifelong bonds and deep differences between siblings are laid bare in this encounter, one that's either joyful or heartbreaking, depending on which of the two you ask. Great roles for women, especially the newly-unapologetic but still-loving Melinda. May her frequent flyer miles never expire.

I laughed repeatedly while reading Generic Roommate Drama, but each chuckle kept getting choked off by the sick feeling in my stomach. Michael O’Day’s satire cuts painfully close to the bone in this desperately consequential year of 2024: the central metaphor is potent and apt, the stakes deeply felt, and the priorities desperately misplaced. Actable as hell, funny, and infuriating, this urgent black comedy screams to be performed NOW.

The Twilight Zone meets D&D in this intriguing, moody encounter between two figures in an otherwise-empty bar. As these strangers from different worlds get to know each other, secrets are of course revealed, leading to shockingly high stakes and surprisingly emotional payoff. Prillaman's fantasy set-up is the hook, but it's his charming-as-hell way with dialogue and deep empathy of character that make this terrific story stick. Bravo.

If you read only one gay-as-hell Sex-Murder-and-Social Media-themed farce this year, let it be Doug Devita's sharp and bonkers GODDESS OF THE HUNT. By what alchemy does one create this savagely cold-hearted a comedy, yet somehow make it also heartwarmingly sentimental? Only Doug knows, so you'll have to ask him. Outrageous, surreal, and ridiculous, but with a tender heart beating at its center, GODDESS is a sweet and salty treat. Order yourself a most fabulous cocktail, check it for arsenic, then dive right in.

It's shocking that 19th century stage star Charlotte Cushman, at one point the highest-paid actor in the English-speaking world, is so utterly unknown today -- largely due to the jealousy of her male rivals and the legacy-erasing secrecy she felt forced to maintain over her lesbianism. Jillian Blevins beautifully corrects the record with this delightful historical fiction, bringing the wildly talented, egotistic, & sexual voracious Charlotte to life, and exploring her complicated relationship to her dependent sister. Tightly plotted and packed with great characters (Sallie Mercer in particular), the intrigue here is entertaining as hell - and powerful. Brava.

Aly Kantor's The Psychopomp presents us with two old friends driving through the woods on the hunt for a mournful local ghost -- but scarier and sadder truths may be found closer to home. Kantor's light hand with heavy topics shines here, in deft brushstrokes of symbolism, understanding, and care. Many of Kantor's plays explore the salvific beauty that can be found in friendship, and this witty road trip ghost story joins that excellent company. Sweet, funny, tender, dark, and moving.

Pulling off this rigorous a style exercise would be a feat on its own -- the strict minimalism of the dialogue, the fine-tuned timing of the physical bits, the precision of the repetition and variations -- but to also have the form so perfectly reflect the emotional terrain of its main character makes it a triumph. The coup de théâtre Michael O'Day pulls off is a joy to witness, and the feelings it evokes run the gamut. Sweet, funny, sad, and extremely satisfying.

I love when what seems like a high-concept sketch idea deepens into something darker and richer and more complicated. Such is the case in Bailey Jordan Garcia's delightful What to Expect When You're Expecting Our Lord and Savior, which sparkles with witty dialogue, yes, and indulges in terrific gags, yes, but also leaves plenty of breadcrumbs along its way before arriving at its ultimate, confounding, moving destination. There's a confident queer voice at work here, with a taste for mixing genres and styles, wit and darkness, that I very much enjoy. One to watch.