Recommended by Beth Kander

Lyrical, longing, funny, and heartbreaking, the movement of the script follows the movement of its protagonist. Placing a revelation in the midst of the loss of older and more established memories is a well-choreographed move by the playwright, and each moment of this story will move the audience as well.

Experience the expanse of the universe through an existential crisis in the frozen food section, in ten minutes. You need to read this play.

Nate Eppler's Primary User is so timely in addressing grief in the digital age. But it's also timeless, because the trappings of today's technology is really just the background for a deeper exploration of loss and love - who we are, how we present ourselves, how we're remembered. With enough humor to keep it entertaining, this powerful play takes it audience deep into the questions that make us human.

A companion to her terrific play The Madres, Stephanie Allison Walker's The Abuelas continues the ongoing story of the unrelenting impact of Argentina's Dirty War. The consequences of this dark period are still playing out in real life today, and through her play, Walker draws audiences in immediately, grabs them by the heart, and refuses to let them look away from this saga.

In Cold Spring, Victor Lesniewski looks at abuse not through the lens of victim or perpetrator - but through the loved ones close to those alleging wrongdoing and those accused of the crime. By putting just that little bit of distance between the tragedy and his characters, he successfully avoids sensationalism and instead gives us a gripping drama about the ripple effect of an event, and how relationships break and mend and alter in the wake of unexpected trauma.

It's rare for a play to be not only touching, tragic, funny, and warm - but also to defy conventions WHILE introducing audiences to a forgotten figure from history. Ian August achieves all this and more in The Excavation of Mary Anning. The play is breathtaking in its scope, without ever losing its sense of self... or its audience. An instant favorite.

"The Madres" took my breath away, even as a reading - it didn't need the benefit of a set, costumes, lighting, or anything else in order to engage the audience. The characters and the story they have to tell are so compelling; the moments of palpable tension are balanced by humor, and the momentum keeps the whole story moving. Stephanie Alison Walker's commitment to her characters, and the sensitivity she brings to this dirty-war story, is fantastic. I saw the reading presented at The Ashland New Plays Festival and look forward to seeing it fully staged sometime soon.