Recommended by Amanda L. Andrei

A tender, deeply vulnerable play that explores friendship, romance, and desire through the dazzling and joyous world of drag. A coming-of-age story that cherishes that momentous, magical encounter of being seen and loved for who one really is, in all their messiness and complexities.

It's clear that Electra is a troubled person, whether in Sophocles' rendering of this character, or in Twigg's contemporary take. Twigg brings forth the chaos and torment of this young woman in a new way, shedding light on mixed race kinship relationships, the danger of valuing one parent (or their culture) too much, and mental health/spirituality taken to the extreme. It's jarring and powerful to see taboos on these topics brought to light.

A young Korean American man attends a Christian conference with the intent to purge himself of homosexuality. Kahng thoughtfully, compassionately builds and explores the nuances of faith and Christian cultures with characters who you fall in love with and feel for deeply. #BAPF2022

A look at the multiracial intersections of black, white, Asian, and Jewish families as three young cousins unite at their grandparents' house to sort through their belongings and determine the inheritor of the property. Delightfully Weird in showcasing the surprises, haze, and entanglements of grief and family in a uniquely multiracial way. #BAPF2022

A funny, sincere, outrageous, and epic exploration of Vietnamese ancestry that occurs when the owners of a pho restaurant realize that their world is simulated by a corporation eager to gentrify the neighborhood – but one of the waiters falls in love with the AI avatar sent to take over the restaurant. I was hooked the moment a giant noodle slurped up into the ceiling. A blend of spirituality, sci-fi, and romance through brave, wild, and hilarious characters, all within the context of Vietnamese/Hmong culture and history. #BiBRadiance2021

A historical and spiritual whirlwind meditation on black womanhood in America, with ever-shifting perspectives that keeps us guessing over and over as to where we are and what is truly real. Carryl's language is sublime and painful, and she brings us into Nambi's heady world, blurring the lines of agency, circumstance, fantasy, and history. How does a black woman in America make her way through a world that seeks to extinguish her? Can she regain her power and navigate the rifts of time and oppression?

With sharp and rhythmic language, Fox blends hilarity and tragedy in gorgeous, haunting fragments of a daughter remembering and connecting with her estranged father across three decades. How do you forgive the ones who wounded you and recover what's been lost? And how do you deal with a Bison making crank calls and leering over your bed?

Absolutely devastatingly poetic in its language and characters, this play feels like it exists in another dimension that is fueled by longing, desire, and infinite eros. Dang creates a world that is both timeless and urgent, where we are running out of time as we witness love unfold among three femmes, where we hold our breaths for the silence between words and glances. You will never look at an orange the same way again.

An absolutely hysterical and poignant coming-of-age piece that explores masculinity among queer teenagers in an early 2000s summer camp. Bavoso has written a screwball comedy that is full of tenderness, yearning, and jokes on every page. The metatheatricality also adds a beautiful touch, bringing these issues of finding yourself and your sexuality to the forefront and the future.

Stull bends and blends the world of the stage and simulation, the consciousness of theatre and AI, the illusion of control and the desire for each other in this poetic, sci-fi play. A bold piece that lives and thrives in the uncanny valley, asking us to consider our own creativity, agency, and control in our current and future worlds.