Recommended by John Mabey

Relationships, grief, and identity collide in such powerful ways in WHOLE AGAINST THE SKY by Paul Donnelly. The structure of the play mirrors the connected and isolated ways in which these characters relate to each other and themselves. With empathy and insight, Paul creates such distinct and real characters while exploring deep and difficult truths. The ending also pays tribute to the often complicated ways that stories conclude while providing sparks of promise for the future.

Whether you're a baseball fan or not, RIGHT FIELD OF DREAMS by Stephen Kaplan will both inspire and uplift. And what's especially dynamic about this play is the way it's written with such clarity about being a gay youth while also so natural in its dialogue. I have such hope for these characters after the play ends and it's that feeling that also makes this play shine.

There are so many new and exciting stories to tell with non-binary characters. And in THANKS FOR THE MAMMARIES by Bailey Jordan Garcia we are gifted with a hilariously poignant and beautiful play that is a love letter to transness. The journey to feel comfortable and authentic in our own bodies is what everyone deserves, and this play delivers while also making us laugh and feel safe. Such a wonderful combination.

AFFINITY LUNCH MINUTES by Nick Malakhow is an incredibly powerful play that I read more than once so I could spend even more time with these characters. The dialogue is so rich and layered, giving deep subtext between the words and moments. And as the story unfolds, the intersectional ways in which the characters connect and collide is masterfully done, exploring racism, diversity, queerness, and whiteness more deeply than I've read before. It would be such a gift to watch this play unfold on stage, and I have no doubt that I'll have that opportunity soon. Produce this play.

In THE PHYSICS FOR POETS CLUB, Nora Louise Syran takes us on a fantastical journey rooted in real-life women from history that's as educational as it is entertaining. And the core group of women feel like an updated version of The Breakfast Club while taking us back and forth in time. The inclusion of historical and scientific facts is such an interesting addition to the cast of vibrant characters, too.

Jillian Blevins writes urgent stories that need to be told and brought into the light. MERE WATERS is amazing in that regard and also special on several levels, starting with the inspiration of Gisella Perl's real-life and memoir about her time in Auschwitz. Hers is a heartbreaking story but also filled with glimmers of hope that the playwright cultivates and carefully expresses throughout. The characters of the Prophetesses are also expertly written here, providing comfort and wisdom for both characters and audience. This is a play that deserves all of its accolades and is not to be missed.

I knew I had to read this play as soon as I saw the description. In BEES, Aly Kantor weaves together an intricate tapestry of relationships explored through such an excellent pairing of 2 characters. Themes of identity, family, health, and climate change are explored through a masterful interconnectedness, and one of the most poignant and emotionally truthful representations of queer elders in modern times too. I'm left with a sense of both urgency and hope by the end of the play as I consider the metaphorical and literal meanings of 'seeds' over a lifetime.

A beautiful monologue that provides glimpses into a family home while delicately revealing even more just below the surface. In ESSIE AND WILLIE, Morey Norkin captures the atmosphere of another time and awakens many of our own senses along the way.

Memories and metaphors come together so powerfully in FRUIT OF THE BANYAN TREE by Cam Eickmeyer. And even if you don't have experience with the type of therapy described, Eickmeyer finds ways to dramatically ground the action in the present moment for both audience and characters. And by the end, trauma hasn't been resolved in a simplistic way but instead addressed with delicate complexity and hope.

Mark Harvey Levine's SURPRISE is comedy at its best with an amazing premise and hilarious wordplay throughout. The clever story could go in so many directions and ends with a wonderful 'surprise' of its very own. Levine is a writer who never disappoints and it's clear why this fun, high-energy play has enjoyed so much success, too.