Recommended by Aly Kantor

The only thing I love more than a radical adaptation of a Greek myth is one set in SPACE—and when that play is as clever and well-constructed as this one, I find myself utterly smitten! I love how all of the characters are smart, specific, and ambitious, especially the women. The balance of magic, spiritualism, technology, and pragmatism is fascinating - plus, I loved that knowing more about the original myth helped me put the pieces together, but the original storytelling still surprised me and kept me on my toes! Plus, the final haunting image? EVERYTHING!

I had the great fortune of seeing this piece read at the New Art City Theatre Festival. This is a moving and cathartic treat for actors and audiences alike, ripe with a stunning poetic sensibility that contrasts gorgeously against the very human story at the center. As it's based on real people and events, the characters are rich and specific, with distinct voices that resonate. While there is room for some theatrical spectacle, there are so many moments that feel viscerally tender - the warm, flawed relationships are the beating heart of this adoption story for the stage. Lovely.

When I lived in Boston, I often de-stressed by going to the Gardner and lurking in the quiet upstairs alcoves where they kept the Sargents. As someone familiar with this history, I can say this excerpt is full of rich, specific historical detail! Even so, it moves effortlessly and efficiently, revealing evocative, character-driver truths behind some of my favorite art history scandals. I love that it's grounded in reality but still gives the characters so much room to breathe, bringing them to life on the page. After just a few pages, I found myself excited and invested in this story!

This is a fun ensemble piece full of colorful characters, and the audience is lucky enough to peek in on them during an ordinary afternoon in a local cafe. Tensions rise, and just when you think everyone is going to pay their tab and leave, a sudden lockdown keeps them all in place, forced to confront the feelings that were about to propel them out the door! I loved it when the storylines began to blur together, and instead of each table maintaining a distinct storyline, they came together to form one united story. Funny, quick, and clever!

I know this is a comedy, but it feels an awful lot like a tragedy...if not a horror story! This play hones in on a problem we see at local theatres across the country: a tendency to value safety over ingenuity. I think every one of us has been passed over for one of the reasons outlined in this play, likely by an eccentric, sheltered, and very traditional board like this one. That said, actors will love to embody these colorful, familiar characters and milk all the humor here! This play is clever, prescient, and VERY relatable!

I cannot figure out how this play managed to make me care so deeply for this group of ambitious, messy, brilliant, deliciously flawed women so quickly, but I was all in from page one. Just when you think the stakes are high, there's a gasp-worthy twist that brings things to the next level. I'm most impressed by the politics - these relationships feel so nuanced and lived in, which is such a breath of fresh air in a script featuring 7 women! Designers will lose their minds over the opportunity to create the stunning Act II spacewalk. A fantastic play!

A commedia-style retelling of a dark Greek myth? Hubbard nails it! This adaptation of the Medusa story is moving, stunning, and, most impressively, absolutely hilarious, confronting audiences without triggering them. Audiences will experience rich, evocative language, stunning stage pictures, and some of the wittiest, smartest dialogue I've heard in recent memory. There are so many opportunities for creative staging, even in the most pared-down campfire-style production, and actors will have a BLAST embodying up to 7 characters each, giving each of them a unique voice, quirks, and depth. The doubling blew my mind! A rich script that demands staging!

I was lucky enough to attend a reading of this play, and it's a script I'll never forget. From the first lines of the play onward, there is something singularly theatrical about the storytelling - this play belongs on a stage! Making discoveries about Rachel's family in a room full of theatergoers was—dare I say—a religious experience. The characters are funny, specific, recognizable, and well-drawn, and I am amazed by how much humor there was in a script about such a serious topic. It's Moving and cathartic with a gorgeous rhythm. This is a must-produce script.

This is the perfect comedy for a small ensemble of quick, witty actors of a certain age. The dialogue moves a mile a minute, but I'm sure the action will be pausing frequently to keep up with audience laughter! The specificity of the historical and political climate in the play adds so much texture and depth, but I fell in love with the fantastic characters... one of which is DEAD, and still gets his fair share of laughs! This play is about heavy topics, but it's so light and human, with a feel-good ending that left me smiling!

There is some real wisdom hidden in this chilling 5-minute play, which is more honest about the place AI occupies in the current artistic landscape than a lot of media. With that said, the subtle but terrifying reversal leaves more questions than answers, leaving the reader to wonder if Monalis-AI is hiding something...or merely an artificial consciousness working within her constraints. Ultimately, it leaves you with questions about the future of this technology and what it means for our humanity... and possibly all humanity! An excellent, efficient little play!