Recommended by Aaron Leventman

Michael Towers has a confidence and mastery to his uniquely concise style, using sparse language, allegories and visual references with humor and a light touch. This effortlessly shows us character histories, relationships, and generational conflicts and fears. It's emotional quality creeps up on you amidst how funny it all is yet its humor is in its compassion and empathy.

The title becomes a clever play on words to dramatize a supposed institutional visit with something much more spiritual. This expresses the long and complicated process of grief with a twist that isn't as obvious as you might think. The audience experiences in just 10-minutes two entire lives whose relationship to each other is entrenched in the destructive power of addiction .

Cathro gives us the rollercoaster ride of love, commitment, memory loss, and aging in just 6 pages dramatizing both the humor and seriousness of the situation in a way that's relatable to all.

Scott Sickles's sharply clever and sexy comedy forces us to look at who we'd want to be with at the end of the world and maybe our responses would surprise us. The humor gives way to tenderness and even sadness as like most great romantic stories we hope for a positive outcome for the lovers whether or not that's a reality. Sickles also gets bonus points for using characters with nontraditional body types which is something we don't see enough of in LGBTQ+ theatre, or theatre in general.

Not only does the play portray people that we don't see enough of in contemporary theatre, but it also couldn't be more relevant. The issues of social isolation, marginalization, and the possibility for human connection through challenging times and personal conflicts are dramatized through optimism and the utmost respect for its characters. I wish there were more plays like this around.

What a first look seems to be a simple tale of an online hook-up reveals to be about serious issues such as leading a double life and being true to yourself. Even though the play is not about our current quarantine, it begs us to ask ourselves if there really is a chance for real intimacy during these challenging times of self-imposed isolation and personal inner-conflicts.

Finding sex, romance, and intimacy during the time of Covid and social distance is a tricky task but Philip pulls it off with humor, pathos, and a surprising amount of tenderness. His play gives us hope for love during these troubles times.

Regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation, it's hard not to relate with this sensitive and eloquent story of holding on and letting go as it pertains to long-term relationships. How do you reconcile having a history with someone mixed with the need to move on? The characters and situations jump off the page with their authenticity and humanism. The actors and director will relish in the opportunity to bring this play to life.

There have been many plays about lost, unrequited, or unconsummated love but Rinkel adds a great deal of originality, and authenticity mixed with magic realism to create a funny, romantic, and touching story with many surprises and rich characterizations. Both complicated and very simple in its telling.

Rachael Carnes has a remarkable and refreshing knack for capturing the emotional connections between young characters written with authenticity, humor, and great compassion.