Recommended by Vince Gatton

This charming-as-hell short play shows Steven Strafford’s keen eye and capable hand. The banter is witty, the characters are likable, the metaphors are self-conscious yet astute, and the revelations are well-timed and -executed. Tremendously actable with clear intentions and stakes, this sly rom-com left me smiling, and utterly disarmed.

I saw this play last year at the OOB Festival and really dug it; reading it here now I like it even more. It contains so much about power and privilege and resentment, while staying firmly grounded in realistic dialogue between believable, smart, human characters. The finely calibrated way they each lean in - or get sucked in - to what’s boiling underneath their cocktail party congratulatory chat is something to behold. Their arguments are made intelligently & in good faith, which serves to make some of those arguments even more extra-bonus-infuriating. Timely and timeless, I expect.

Bloody hell, what a world we live in that this is an entirely plausible drama that could be playing out in schools all across America. Minigan does an excellent job of taking a societal issue and making it personal, with sharp dialogue, high stakes, and deeply emotional and practical consequences for his characters. I say this as highest praise: this play made me feel sick to my stomach. Also: great title. Well done.

Exquisite non-verbal moments, dry wit, and then some of the most beautiful language you’d ever hope for to capture dark times. What struck me the most, though, was the breathtaking intimacy of love captured here: the relatable, lived-in, physical, soulful, small and quiet yet enormous and world-defining love between these two. Brava.

An experiment in radical frankness, DIS/CONNECT displays a terrific ear for dialogue and character. Andy and Robyn feel specific and jagged and interesting, with whole lives that exist outside this play. Their verbal jousting is smart and witty, even when it's at its saddest, and Martin has a nice sense of non-verbal "speech" as well. Equal parts sparkling and weary, I found this very satisfying.

Holy crap, do I love this so much. On top of the well-deserved skewering of office-culture frustrations and banalities, this play has a lot to say about isolation, friendship, and the incremental ways humans build connections even from afar. Precise in her observation of behavioral details and emotional nuances, Gillian Beth Durkee gives us full, rich characters, plenty of genuine wit, and emotional payoffs that she earns honestly. Excellent.

OK, I was laughing out loud by the line "Since when do security guards measure your inseam?", but was unprepared for where this play was gonna go, and how far. What starts as a naturalistic (and charming as hell) party scene takes one carefully-calibrated turn after another until we're in full-on nightmare territory. Satire this savage is often righteous, but rarely is it this intelligent, emotionally grounded, and rooted in well-defined characters. Genuinely funny and genuinely sickening, Masking our Blackness left me very impressed by Mr. Durham's brain and heart. One to watch.

Like its protagonist, this little play has heard your objections and has come prepared to refute them. But while both are charming and bracingly frank in the aggressive pursuit of love, the play itself knows the value of sometimes not getting what you want. An adorable, funny, and romantic not-romance that made me root for every one of its characters.

Whew! Uncovering covers a LOT of ground in a short piece: purity culture, misogyny, patriarchy, homophobia, toxic masculinity, power dynamics, and questions of self-worth, all stirred together in a very funny and unsettling stew. And while the targets may seem easy pickings at first, there are uncomfortable layers still to be peeled back. The comedy is sharp throughout, no matter who's getting skewered, and Beth Anne is a dynamite character for a young actress to sink her teeth into. Squicky, this play is. I like it.

The imminent end of the world may seem like an odd time to take a chance on love, but honestly...if not now, when? This comic book apocalypse caper is a joy from start to finish, with hilarious camp elements, genuine tugs at the heartstrings, and a delicious dry wit throughout. In juxtaposing fantastical occurrences with our most banal, relatable, human-size responses, Szymkowicz finds a blend of sweet and salty that I found deeply satisfying.

(I should add that I have yet to read or see Hearts Like Fists, but had no trouble experiencing this independently as a standalone play.)