Recommended by Zach Barr

Much like Camp's excellent cast of five, DEGENERATION does an admirable job of dancing around the question of how, and whether, to escape from the clutches of capitalism – before suddenly having to confront the question head on. A layered snapshot of a generation whose ability to plan out a future has been robbed from them by the world that came before, and their often fruitless attempts to live their lives anyway.

Laufer’s multi-layered, imperfect cast of characters elevates the work beyond merely nihilistic political conjecture, to show a more nuanced perspective on complicity in the face of authoritarianism. The play’s most incendiary message may be that identification with any larger social group often goes hand in hand with fears—both false and justified—of being persecuted as an individual. A complex, tense play for our complex, tense era.

Breathless as a championship game, Fahmy's script is a whirlwind look at the intersection of faith, sports, and family – how each of them shapes us into a version of ourselves, and how dangerous it can be when any deviation will occur under a watchful eye beyond our control. Enormously variable in production, four plush acting roles, and the most practical food I've seen in a script in quite some time – a strong recommendation for any company at any scale. Game on!

Navigating a fascinating parallel between two time periods that feel more similar than they may appear, Durbin's play is a multilayered look at what it means to make space for your own identity – and how "making space" often leads to taking it from someone else. Painting richly detailed characters in sparse but sharp detail, it's a play whose highly theatrical conceit makes it a feast to view as much as to hear.

Highly theatrical and deeply researched, Rose's play prompts difficult questions about the unintended consequences of trying to save someone else's life, from bullets or from the closet. Underneath the headlines and camp lip-syncing, it is at heart the story of why we lie to protect those we love, and how the truth doesn't always set us free in the way we hope it will. Begging to be in production.

Watched in sequence with Peercy’s other work in the “Greetings” Saga. A strong entry into the legacy of American art asserting that “you can’t repeat the past,” but that won’t stop people from trying. Gripping on its own, or in concert with its companion play.

Watched in sequence with Peercy’s other work in the “Greetings” Saga. WELCOME TO SADSVILLE is a note-perfect depiction of our tendency to project intimacy in our friendships while holding ourselves back from true vulnerability. Rich soil for two capable performers to dig into.

A mysterious and ethereal slice of urban fantasy. Even with a lot of worldbuilding to unfold, the play effortlessly pulls the audience in, and manages to be both satisfying in its own right while leaving me wanting to see even more from these characters and concepts.

Like a clown car stuffed to bursting, BIG TIME TOPPERS is so rich with thematic weight and well-rounded characters that one performance is hardly enough to untangle its complex morals about friendship, family, destiny, and success. It achieves an incredibly deft balance, remaining realistic about the impossibility of dedicating one's life to art, while letting audiences feel just enough of the potential freedom to keep them from writing it off as madness. A dangerous and rewarding challenge of a script – not unlike juggling knives.

A haunting play about the ways we wrestle with grief, push away guilt, stew in hopelessness, and come out the other side changed for...if not the better, at least changed. Peercy's writing always remains clear to the reader while remaining hugely variable in performance.