Recommended by Vince Gatton

Plays of this short length usually have time to do One Thing; here Debra Cole does the One Thing…and then she gets you with Another Thing. And in the process she manages to do Yet Another Thing, taking a pointed-but-affectionate poke at our specific cultural moment - one of shifting assumptions around gender - and the eternal war of teens against dad jokes that spans generations. A lot of layers in a short, tasty bite.

I really love this play, the story of a moment of casual cruelty that hits a wall. Powerful, poignant, and so, so dramatically tight, it gives us two terrifically-drawn characters going toe-to-toe in a quiet cat-and-mouse game with ugly emotional underpinnings, one that somehow allows for humanity and vulnerability, needs and at-least-somewhat valid points, pride and hurt feelings, in both predator and prey. In The Unkissed, Matthew Weaver proves that incredibly high stakes can happen in small moments. Sharp, unsettling, and moving, this one leaves a mark.

Jane Elias’ wonderful GIRL IS MINE is full of familiar plot elements taken in unexpected directions, littered with proverbial Chekhov’s Guns that resolutely, stubbornly, and delightfully keep not going off. A uniquely close relationship between a teacher and teen student sets off alarm bells for the people in their lives (and in the audience), but nothing here is as simple - neither as guilty nor as innocent - as any of them think it is. A quirky and questioning spirit animates this humane, sad, hilarious, and refreshing play.

You may walk into this expecting a light holiday romp: the title is fun, and the character's name (Cynthia) maybe sets you up for a riff on Cindy Lou Who -- another young girl who had a memorable encounter with Santa Claus. But this is no Dr. Seuss parody; DC Cathro has a weirder, sadder, messier story to tell, one about love and doubt and regret, about the thrill and the misgivings of being pursued, and the murky confusion young people can experience around weighing societal taboos and our own instincts. A haunting, sorrowful winner.

Wildly funny, kinetic, and absolutely harrowing, Hitler's Tasters is a sharp shock of a play that will stick with you. I saw it last year Off-Broadway and it has certainly stuck with me: it continues to resonate with its themes about complicity, complacency, passionate devotion that curdles into something else, and society's treatment - then and now - of young women as disposable. On top of all that, it's also an astoundingly good showcase for young actresses. Colleges, and even high schools -- get on this. Entertaining and powerful stuff.

Well, this is terrifying…and very moving. But what strikes me as the real triumph of this piece is neither the pathos nor the horror - it’s Steve Martin’s understanding that what makes good drama is showing characters make *choices*. What brought Abe to this point is fascinating and compelling, but it’s the choices Abe is making here, now, in front of us, that make A Humble Path the riveting and satisfying play that it is. A shocking and shockingly moral piece of work.

Wow, wow, wow. It starts out a very funny, very black absurdist dystopian office satire — for which I am absolutely the target audience. What I didn’t expect, and what elevates this play to something truly extraordinary, is how it deepens and expands emotionally as it goes, turning these office drones who don’t even have names into heartbreaking characters with depth and poignancy and power. That it achieves this without ever betraying its rules or losing its absurdist way is a testament to Prillaman’s immense skill. Bereavement Leave is a harsh and humane marvel.

“It’s the journey, not the destination” is true of this play to some extent, but the destination hangs over and informs everything about this journey nonetheless. Anne and Roger are at odds from the outset, but the pleasure of DC Cathro’s excellent road trip play lies in the ebb and flow between them, the revealed histories, hurts, and kindnesses that develop along the way. Hard, humorous, and tender, Car Games is a trip well worth taking.

I absolutely guffawed at this delightfully fractured fairy tale. Nora and her bird friend Ralphio attempt to approach the boy she secretly loves, and things go…oh, you’ll see. And you’ll guffaw, too, I’m gonna bet. The animal kingdom knows what’s what, is all I’m sayin’. They know. What’s what.

I can’t remember the last time reading a play made me make so much noise: sitting there minding my business, I laughed, I shouted, and reader: I sobbed. It’s no secret that I’m a huge Christian St. Croix fan, and this play serves up all the reasons why: dialogue that snaps and sings, characters who burrow into your heart, stagecraft that ignites your imagination, and a story that puts you through some things. (Producable as hell, too, with a cast of two and running under an hour.) Get on this, world. Please. Get on this.