Recommended by Aly Kantor

Every word and moment counts in this enthralling two-hander, in which we watch Victoria and her brain grow and develop over the course of a sometimes-scary, sometimes-idyllic, always-relatable life. The simplicity of the staging keeps the emphasis on emotions, which are effective, primal, and intense. Throughout, the brain is Victoria's greatest protector and worst enemy, and is there for the best and the worst of her life. Anyone with an anxiety-adjacent mental illness will relate BIG TIME. Still, it's laugh out loud funny, succinct, and fast-moving, with an ending that had my heart in my throat. A sublime, moving play!

This radical re-telling blends the starkly dark and grounded with the impossible and mythological to create a cracked-mirror look into mental illness and facing trauma. The heightened, manic theatricality of the play gives us a glimpse into Stephie's worldview, helping us relate and connect to her unique mindset and perspective. I loved discovering all the color symbolism and allusions to the Persephone myth! The integration of music would be a fantastic creative challenge for an artistic team. The stakes are high, the ticking clock adds a strong sense of urgency, and the characters are colorful and compelling. A spectacular play!

Where do your loyalties lie? In a small town in Texas, that question is complicated. My favorite part about this script is how effectively it misleads you. Up until the last minute, I was convinced one character or the other was a "bad guy." In reality, this is a story of two otherwise helpless people doing everything they could to achieve a feeling of justice or karma for a terrible, unnecessary crime. The pacing is riveting and fascinating, and we get the information we need exactly when we need it. I love the ambiguous ending! A really engaging short work!

This is one of those plays that had me at the opening stage direction! While funny (and with some incredible possibilities for creative puppeteering or casting choices), there is something very human and relatable about this short play about grief. When you're grieving, and everyone around you knows it, they treat you in such an alien way. The chaotic raccoon companion has the same effect here. You can't hide grief, and you can't control the way others react to your grief - nor can you just cast it aside without consequences. This concise play finds a solution in companionship. Lovely!

Nora Syran has such a gift for creating plays that are more than plays - they are layered, immersive sensory experiences that fully transport you to a time and place... even if the place is a liminal gathering of the greatest artistic minds of the 19th and early 20th century! It's almost more collage (or impression?!) than play, moving swiftly through the years. Throughout we are treated to a glimpse of the art world through the unique POV of larger-than-life artist Suzanne Valadon. The relationships are complex, and characters are allowed to be messy! A work of art about art!

What must a woman give up to become whole, and what does it mean to be whole at all? The power struggles and little sacrifices at play in this historical piece are compelling and absolutely riveting—audience members will have much to discuss in the lobby after this one. I love the way this play gives context to so many gorgeous artworks, even bringing them to life on stage! It would be a dream to costume and design, despite its simplicity. What a wonderful way to highlight a significant, talented woman who has been "hidden in plain sight." Fantastic work!

This play is not quite an adaptation and not quite a sequel - I'd call it two things: an inventive, time-bending remix of a classic and TONS of feisty, feminist fun! The playwright has kept everything we love about Neverland but updated the narrative so it's relevant to today's audiences. I fell in love with this saucy, sinister take on "the jealous Tinkerbell" (and this play's clever use of the "clap if you believe" gambit!) - but there's a complete ensemble cast here ready to be embodied and brought to life! A fun, active, high-energy play about growing up!

Jan Rosenberg has SUCH a gift for writing honest, dynamic teenage characters - turns out they're pretty awesome at writing adults as well! In this play, two messy, broken duos come together and confront their damaged relationships under progressively strange circumstances. The entire production is a blood bath that will make designers cry tears of joy and wardrobe assistants weep over laundry. It's filled with awesome opportunities for stage pictures and a lot of gorgeous, disgusting, genuine, beautiful moments. It felt timely but somehow also as timeless and eternal as Davie's pain. Honest, raw, and unapologetically queer... I loved it!

The inclusion of the horror tropes and murders against the mundane lives of these horny teens had me cracking up! I love the idea that when every guy in your life is asking you to change or giving off rancid vibes, the serial killer on the phone is the easiest person to talk to! The non-linear structure in a "murder cabin" play was such a fun way to distort the stakes, too. The script is full of so many genuinely goofy, irreverent lines that there was NO WAY I could have predicted the ridiculous twist! A just plain fun play!

Ahhh! The perfect cyclical symmetry of this play! This story of a 100-year friendship is both specific and universally relatable. I am obsessed with all of the "gross" moments of care these two share again and again and again - the puss, the blood, the piss - all so inoffensive when they belong to someone who has loved you through the worst moments of your life. I think it's critical to have stories about different types of love, especially in a world that rewards traditional marriage and punishes other paths. A gorgeous story and a perfect creative canvas for designers.