Recommended by Aly Kantor

The opening of this play evokes the direct-address theatricality of Amadeus but with an obscure story from Beethoven's history instead. From there, we're launched into a family mystery plot that weaves in and out of time, bringing audiences to the past and back again as the characters piece together what really happened. There are so many clues hidden in the dialogue, and I am sure that audiences will be on the edge of their seats trying to keep track of everything that doesn't QUITE add up. The live music will add another layer of theatricality and nuance to any production!

There is often an internal logic to the state of insanity. The true delight of this play is that, in moments in which it makes the most sense, the reader feels like they've lost their mind. It is a highly theatrical romp through the life (and the life, and the life) of Friedrich Nietzsche - a recursive history that, oddly, becomes more coherent as the madness grows more profound. You have to THINK to enjoy this play, which makes it highly engaging for erudite audiences up for the challenge! It is an ouroboros of madness, and it is fantastic!

Adam Szymkowicz has a remarkable talent for finding magical, liminal settings and filling them with profoundly human, recognizable characters. This holiday offering, set on a Christmas tree farm, is no exception! The dialogue is natural, poetic, and powerful - I especially love the moments in which the simplicity of the language adds weight to the storytelling, often when words are too much and not enough. The quirkiness shifts and transforms as the piece goes on, so there's always a surprise ahead: shifts in and out of memory, metatheatricality, dueling narrators, ghosts of Christmases past! A unique Christmas treat for all!

This sweet, silly holiday play is like an (occasionally dark and demented) children's book come to life, full of tiny characters (mice!) who, nevertheless, are larger than life on stage! It's consistently funny, fast-moving, and packed with lovable characters that any actor would be lucky to play! I love the simple but magical theatricality of the flashback scenes, which are all hilarious, stand-out moments. The ending is somehow profoundly dark and surprisingly wholesome - this unconventional holiday tale will leave a bloody handprint on your heart! A unique, memorable alternative to the traditional festive programming!

So many families include attending a production of The Nutcracker as part of their most cherished holiday traditions. This memory play jumps between two timelines, exploring one woman's relationship to the concept of family tradition, and why it can be so fraught for some. I found the ending incredibly cathartic, as the protagonist takes pains to break a toxic cycle and attempts to fix something long broken—not unlike a certain girl and her nutcracker. For a short play, it has an epic feel, with flexible, bare-bones staging that adds to the story rather than taking away. Magical!

What if, instead of being transported to the land of sweets, Clara (or, in this case, her great niece, Sarah) woke up on the fly-infested island of misfit toys? This silly short is a fun and festive sequel to The Nutcracker for young performers, but you don't need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy the puns, laugh-out-loud wordplay, and antics! I think my favorite character was the Fly Girl, a character whose commitment to the bit is as admirable as it is hilarious! This would be a fun alternative to traditional school holiday programs! Sweet!!

While this is a funny, warm comedy, there is something very honest underneath the silly antics—a statement about the challenges of altruism under capitalism, made even harder during the "season of giving." Poor Mary is only trying to do something kind, and she's foiled at every attempt - by business owners, by the city collecting fines, and by the sad and disenchanted citizens of her city. This sweet and heartwarming short asks the question, "What does it mean to do good?" and I think readers and audiences will love the answer.

This is such a sweet and inventive radical adaptation of a beloved Christmas classic - and fans of The Nutcracker will have a BLAST discovering the very subtle but hilarious allusions to the story hidden in this contemporary apartment setting! The relationship between the siblings was another highlight, with thoughtful, natural dialogue helping us understand how this duo relates. I think there are fun opportunities to incorporate music, if desired, making this a fun playground for Nutcracker-loving design teams! Heartfelt and easily staged, this holiday short is a unique, festive treat for young performers and audiences of all ages.

What do critics owe artists, and is there a level of criticism that goes too far? Can a transactional relationship between critic and artist ever amount to anything honest? What about when there's a gendered power imbalance at play? This play asks those questions in the form of an intimate dinner date between a female chef and the scathing male food critic who bashed her. The stakes only grow as we realize exactly how much power one party has over the other. I love the reversal and the whiplash moment of realizing who had regained the reins! Funny, sexy work!

The title of this play evoked Blue Velvet, so I was expecting something a little bit strange. Reader, I had no idea! This absurd, darkly hilarious play starts off twisted and only gets bloodier and more bizarre as it goes on. By the end, you're not sure if you've just experienced the vengeance of a Lovecraftian god, a love story, a double psychotic break, or some odd combination. Because the main characters are so very broken and unreliable, the audience doesn't know which narrative to trust, which is such a fun storytelling choice. I hope these two get their wings!