Recommended by Nora Louise Syran

A powerful retelling and reimagining of ancient myth which is rendered even more solidly universal and relatable through the lens of a grieving mother, envious sister, vengeful wife... Wave after wave, Speckman captures the rawness of what it means to be human with an 'itch' to scratch. Brilliant.

I enjoyed the balance of characterization within the ensemble and the pacing of the piece. It forges ahead through the clever blend of past and present verbs; captures perfectly the characters who are all at once living the tale and recounting the tale. Bravo!

A physical, poetic "Pilgrim's Progress." Josephs drops her teenage hero and her audience into the depths of the mines depicted through splendid sensory imagery. Favorite line: "But there’s still sediment in dreams."

Well done, Adam Richter. Favorite line: "I don’t want to play anymore." Let's hope more people come to the same conclusion; plays like yours are a definite move in the right direction! :)

I'm a sucker for sweet WWII tales and this one fits the bill (pun unintended). I liked the characterization of Plumridge and his country-lad wisdom as they wait for an aircraft to land. I can see this as a short film. Favorite line: "Boden: ...James you said?" "Yes sir, but most call me Jim." Boden: "Well Plumridge..." There is such a respectful distance between these two characters as befits their ranks and yet the natural world unites them. Lovely.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this play and agree: it needs to be produced. I was hooked from the first slap, my attention held by the humor (especially of Mary pushing for more wine!) and entranced by the stringing and re-stringing of the lyre. A lovely retelling from a very human and humble perspective. Favorite line: "It’ll be okay in the end, James." Lovely work.

OMG! I cannot stop laughing and crying. The line between comedy and tragedy for Sickles is razor thin. I'd just read his one minute drama "Exclusion" and the contrast between the two pieces is striking but the themes in both hit home similarly: bug, man, woman, child, adult...Sickles hits it on the nose. Well done.

I love the playful stereotypes in this piece (including Wagnerian horns on helmets!) and the glimpse of Scandinavia today as multi-racial and yet also steadfastly and proudly (and in this case hysterically) holding onto its ancient roots. Sickles's descriptions are succinct, clever and the ending wholly unexpected. Loved it. So glad they put those swords down....this piece could have gone anywhere! Favorite line: "Then they each grab her by an arm or whatever and start to pull her toward the altar like sled dogs."

There's not much more to say! Very funny. I love McClain's wacky and wonderful sense of what works on stage...from fish in an aquarium to birds in a cage, it works. Well done.

"Watch for where the magic is..." This piece is full of magic and myth, yet grounded in reality. The lovingly drawn characters are safe in their world of words. Echoes of famous fairytales throughout and yet wholly original. Well done, Ky Weeks.