Recommended by Vince Gatton

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.

So, listen: I'm the villain in this monologue. I'm the coulrophobic. And for the record and in my defense: it's not because of Pennywise or Poltergeist, it's a visceral thing that predates both -- but we can get into that later. To the point: Occasionally people write really great stuff that makes me see and/or think about clowns, despite myself. (See also Adam Szymkowicz's brilliant and triggering Clown Bar.) In RESPECT THE NOSE, Monica Cross has written a witty, moving, and entertaining cris de couer/rallying cry/showstopper that demands my admiration, heebie-jeebies be damned. Respect, Cozymittens. Respect.

Well, this is entirely my jam: charming, funny, sad, horrifying, heart-warming, and filled with awe and wonder. The characters are so distinct and well-drawn, the exposition so deftly handled, the scope of the reveals so expansive, the emotional impact so strong...it's like Elizabeth Keel studied my brain to know what I'd find most all-around satisfying and put it down on the page. Brava. An absolute winner.

A life of quiet desperation, on the cusp of something transformative. Or maybe...not. If drama lies in characters making choices, GULF nails the assignment, capturing Ellis at a moment where their whole life balances on a knife's edge. Miranda Jonte's natural, almost casual dialogue deftly conveys worlds of heart-catching history in few words, and works in hushed contrast with the hugeness of the moment. She also provides a Rorschach test for the viewer: is this a tragedy? Or the start of something magnificent? We're left to wonder and to guess, but not to decide. Haunting.

There's magic in the everyday stuff - and everyday in the magic stuff - in Aly Kantor's exquisite Odd Songs for Odd Birds. A snuggly vintage sweater of a play about secret weirdos finding their place, it's packed with enough wit and droll sarcasm to keep the sweetness from every becoming cloying, and mind-blowing revelations delivered with the gentlest touch. This is a gorgeous story of homegoing and belonging, and I can't recommend it highly enough.