Recommended by Aly Kantor

Watching this story play out is like watching a train derailment - you can see it coming, but you maintain hope that things will right themselves... but when that anticipated collision comes, it's impossible to look away. This is a story about power, exploitation, and what "success" really looks like - and how one character chooses to reframe what she considers worth pursuing in both her personal and professional life. It's efficient, gripping, and dynamic, with some brilliant stage pictures throughout. It feels incredibly classic but maintains a fantastic contemporary sensibility. Really tight, effective writing here!

This is a piece that takes teenagers seriously, deftly showing all of the ways they're almost adults... and the many ways they aren't. If you've spent any time with this population, you will fall in love with the raw, silly, truthful characters in this play. These girls truly pop off the page. There is a ton of gorgeous poetry hidden in the dialogue, which somehow felt uncannily like the ways teenagers talk at sleepovers - with a weary, goofy honesty, making their strongest connections in the dark. The ending is beautiful, moving, and cathartic. A really beautiful play!

The multiverse is having a moment in popular culture, so this story, which is set outside of linear time and takes place over a lifetime and all at once, couldn't be more—excuse the pun—timely! The form, which is fragmentary, with gorgeous moments of synchronicity across timelines, does a phenomenal job of reflecting the content. This short doesn't waste any time explaining the "why" behind David's unique lifestyle, instead focusing on the central relationship. The ending was satisfying and well-earned, and I love imagining the way it might literally resonate from three directions throughout a theatre. Lovely.

This delicious, specific one-act is both heartfelt and hilarious, delivering emotion and theatricality with the concise intentionality of the best tight fives. Despite their ample flaws, I fell in love with both characters immediately and found myself deeply invested in learning their stories. Morey did a fantastic job setting up the stakes so that the final monologues came with an additional air of tension, and the final, sweet reversal was a pitch-perfect conclusion to one legacy (and, perhaps, the beginning of another). This piece has the power to both enlighten and entertain - great work here!

This prequel to Romeo and Juliet is SO SMART, and I enjoyed every second of it! Those who were not satisfied by the vague feud between the families Montague and Capulet will love this high-stakes backstory, in which Lady Capulet is given something even more precious than a first name—she is allowed to be a smart, cunning, capable agent of her own destiny, though her tragic end was always set in stone. The plotting is air-tight and brilliant, making the families in its iconic inspiration feel thoroughly three-dimensional. This moving piece will leave you hoping for a softer ending.

What a sweet, funny short about a common fairytale trope that, in only a minute, still manages to reflect something genuine about contemporary beauty standards and the performance of femininity. Women are under a lot of pressure, with or without a ticking clock - if only we could all feel free to stay at the party past midnight!

If you're looking for a funny, relatable play about a warm, authentic female friend group, this is it! The relationship between the women sings in this laugh-out-loud short, in which procrastination yields a hilarious conversation (in which a vagina participates). I loved watching the high-strung Heather soften and finally participate, and the twist was right in the "surprising but inevitable" sweet spot that makes a short like this one satisfying!

What a gorgeous fairytale allegory! This stunning play explores the burdens placed on mothers of infants, especially when there is an element of PPD involved. This play allows us to meet two generations of women, allowing us to see the cyclical nature of the issue as it perpetuates itself (and as patterns are broken), as well as showing us what happens if loved ones fail to notice and help. It's such a gentle, thoughtful approach to opening up conversations about a serious, very common issue. Really lovely work!

It's very difficult to find appropriate plays for very young children that are entertaining and still meet their developmental needs. In this short & sweet script, every child involved will have a role to play, keeping performers engaged from curtain up to bows. From funny physicality (I LOVE the "daffodil-daisy-chain") to simple songs, the action never stops, despite the simple, low-effort blocking requirements (which teachers will LOVE). The characters are colorful, and I can even see the young performers contributing to their own costumes or set! Pre-K, K, and 1st grade teachers, check this one out!

This monologue is uniquely engaging, inviting the audience to participate in this deeply felt tale of one man's unconventional grief journey. There is some striking, gorgeous, and incredibly affecting imagery throughout, brought to life through the use of rich, evocative language—and a few subtle reveals that will take your breath away. The speaker is specific and feels thoroughly three-dimensional, and any actor would be lucky to embody this character!