Recommended by Peter Dakutis

Tracks is a devastatingly sad and beautiful play. John Patrick Bray uses Hudson River Valley mythology to examine the effects of economic decline and opioid abuse on the region. As his very real characters struggle against negative tides of change, heartbreak awaits. Eventually, the characters are absorbed into the mythology, which is simultaneously disturbing and comforting, offering a catharsis. The characters and dream-like world will stay with you long after the play.

This play about a student being bombarded with increasingly obnoxious text messages is clever and funny, with a great payoff. It offers a lot of potential for creative staging. It should be a big hit with colleges and universities.

Add together some microaggression, desperation, and absurdity, and you've got both a micronation and a fun play. I thought I knew where it would be going, but Ross Tedford Kendall provides twists and turns that lead to big laughs. Audiences will enjoy this play!

This is a wickedly funny comedy about using our minds to play tricks on ourselves and others. The tricks we use for self-restraint can also be used for seduction. Addiction, desire, and release are all mixed together, creating so much opportunity for physical comedy. I saw a fun on-line version with three women, and I'd love to see the sexual tension three men would bring to it. This piece offers countless possibilities for directors and actors.

This is an inventive and powerful retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story. Nick Krentel creates a modern Little Red to examine issues such as PTSD, bullying, and sexual assault. This thought-provoking and discomfiting play is sure to guarantee great discussions and might be useful as a tool for addressing mental health and other challenges young people face.

Gay penguins have become a cliché, which Nick Krentel upends in this sweet, sad, and hopeful play. I was particularly impressed by Krentel's use of language, which was poetic at times. Directors might enjoy the opportunities to create a visually striking production, but even if presented bare-bones, this play would be moving.

Martha Patterson has created a femme fatale for the ages! In this play, Patterson expertly employs noir conventions, particularly the lingo, and audiences will enjoy being taken along on this dangerous ride.

Ruben Carbajal takes the one-minute play to a new level. It left me reeling, as if I'd sat through an intense, powerful full-length play. This is sheer artistry at work.

A nifty piece of social satire with a big laugh at the end.

I am in awe of this monologue. The language is so evocative, and Vivian Lermond creates a beautifully textured story in just three paragraphs. Actors will love using this piece and its sensory details in auditions and classroom exercises.