Recommended by Hayley St. James

I haven’t felt this seen by a play I’ve read in quite a bit! A snapshot of the incomparable microcosm of joy and chaos we call the musical theatre fandom, told with authenticity and an abiding love for the community. This would also make a fabulous double bill with Ana Nogueira’s “Which Way To The Stage?”

A delightfully naughty and wonderfully fun take on the Dionysus myth, Nothing But Thunder is everything you might want in a cheeky Greek comedy. Surprisingly touching, too! A great play for any company looking for a riff on the classics or a chance to really shine with intimacy direction.

(I attended the Dream Up Festival production in September 2022.)

Mythic, queer, gorgeous, singular work. Glorious. Fly Jamerson’s play has broken my mind wide open. Read it. Produce it.

A poetic, primal, thrillingly queer reimagining of a classic fairy tale that breathes new life and agency into Red Riding Hood. Absolutely gorgeous work.

Daniel Prillaman continues to leave a haunting impression in my head with this chilling, twisty monologue that mesmerizes and breaks your heart in equal measure. This in performance/production would be such an intense experience for actor or audience. I eagerly await the day that happens.

The character dynamics pop, the banter is fizzy, and the conceit - an argument between a human man and his roommate, a sentient sock monkey - is surreal but familiar. “BOOTS” is a funny, bizarre, and thoroughly charming two-hander.

A delicious bite of a one-minute play, seasoned perfectly with existential ennui. Matthew Weaver’s imagination is a gift, as always.

The world is literally about to end, well-meaning but airheades Stellan warns us. But who cares about apocalypse, there’s macchiatos to drink! Oblivious, hilarious Stella is too busy complaining about completely ephemeral matters to really give thought to the impending destruction of the planet. Two minutes of delightfully cringe-laugh social satire.

A playwriting experiment and a very funny pirate comedy that despite its dialogue taking twists and turns, miraculously manages to make narrative sense in a surreal and silly way.

A genre-defying, gut-bustingly hilarious, and wholly unexpected comedy. “Waterloo!!!!!” mines familiar pop culture discussions for all they’re worth in an ultra-meta coup de theatre that transcends what can be done on stage. The winner takes it all, indeed.