Recommended by Aly Kantor

These characters may start off as archetypal, but the sheer specificity of having a "lowercase bff" instantly added depth to this goofy mystery, and I was hooked from there! Once you start listening for "POD" references, you will become obsessed with finding them all! I started hearing a little bell in my brain every time one came up... which could be an interesting production choice, actually. I love the moment of realization at the end—and the hanging possibility of future [skydiving related?] escapades. This is a silly, engaging, and fun little prelude to a romance!

I'm not sure why a play about a man-eating slime mold in the work bathroom is so relatable, but haven't we all been there? This play is a clever, contemporary case study about what happens when those "little annoying problems at work" are left to fester, and how they start to feel normal even as they begin devouring lives. It's witty, with a quirky cast of characters and a fun dash of campy horror—and some prop tech or SM out there is going to have a BLAST making a slime prop that does the infestation justice!

When I started this play, I said to myself "She's STARTING there? Where on earth is she going to go with this?" By now I should know enough about Lisa's work to trust that she's going to bring me to the world's most insane places... and that I'm going to enjoy the entire journey! This one had me laughing uproariously by page four. Despite the subject matter, the play is humorously self-referential and never preachy, with a painfully relatable protagonist. Hijinks abound, and the laughter never stops, but it's still sincere. Ultimately, it's a carefully structured, consistently cringeworthy delight!

Wow. Wow. Wow. This might have been the most uncomfortable I've ever felt reading a play—and since I go out of my way in search of subversive material, that is a major compliment! In an era in which the glorification of "the poor little meow meow" and "RPF" have begun to intersect in new and seemingly harmless ways, we're treated to a story that demonstrates precisely why your problematic fav is not really that cute. The pathetic absurdity of the final scene was SO effective. This play is tense, vivid, relevant, and makes you think! A fantastic play!

This play is terrifying and strange—an impossible, theatrical, speculative poem that could never happen and is already happening. The many questions it asks are fascinating at best and uncomfortable at worst—but as an embodied human being capable of reproduction, they were all equally harrowing and relevant to my life today. Even the most alien and unfamiliar aspects of the story came with a disquieting dose of deja vu (future nostalgia?). The biggest compliment I can pay this play is that it made me feel A LOT of things in a very brief (and somehow infinite) period of time.

In some ghost stories, the ghosts feel very far away from us - they're unremembered waifs hailing from a bygone generation. This play is proof that not every great ghost story needs a weeping specter in a Victorian gown. Instead, we get a suite of well-drawn characters with clear motivations - both living and dead. It's fascinating to watch the story unfold as we recognize how every thread is related. The piece is both profoundly sad and profoundly hopeful, leaving the reader with messages about breaking cycles and choosing not to be haunted by someone else's ghosts.

This creepy, poetic piece of immersive theatre isn't technically participatory. Still, I can promise audience members will be creating their own mental conspiracy boards as they pluck the juiciest plot berries from the bursting bushes outside this fully-realized haunted house. The layers of story are as compelling as the atmosphere, which only gets more sinister as the events play out. Horror theatre is hard, but I believe the genius of this piece is in the dark, uncanny intersection of the many specific details and all that's left to the imagination.

I am fascinated by the idea that no one can ever know another person completely - all clothing is costume, and all speech is a dialogue choice. This compelling meeting between circus acrobats focuses on etymology - the value of names as part of passing on stories and pursuing progress. What is lost when we allow someone else to name us? The compelling dialogue tells us much about these fascinating women, with a stunning, heartwarming reversal that left me with deep affection for both characters. It's never too late to dig into history and move forward with less ignorance!

I'm not sure I've EVER seen a poly relationship depicted in a play - which is exactly why this piece is essential reading! Not only will the charming characters look incredibly familiar to young, queer audiences, but I'm certain they'll open minds and hearts. Plus, it's just plain good writing! The play is consistently funny, containing a clever, chameleon-like narrator and many perfect opportunities for a dose of design and theatricality. The line "There weren’t pronouns neo enough to evade his erotic embargo" nearly killed me! hahaha! I love the way it comes full circle by the end. Wonderful!

There is a relationship between love and belief, but how far could you extend your disbelief in order to demonstrate your trust in your friends? This engaging, high-octane sci-fi short may be out of this world in more ways than one, but it's really a story about friendship, love, and sacrifice - like the trolley problem on planet-sized steroids - and for a story about aliens, it is unquestionably very human. I love the touches of the mundane at the end of the world. Lovely!