Recommended by Baylee Shlichtman

Funny, romantic, and honest, Muccia pulls no punches here as she navigates the painfully relatable struggles of a woman who can't give herself permission to move on from an unrealized relationship. Liv is a complicated, anxious mess of a protagonist who takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions that take her to some unexpected and sometimes fantastical places before ultimately reaching something close to closure. It's a ride you'll be glad you got on.

A deft retelling that centers a fresh perspective that compliments the source material. Sanchez's Lucy is a compelling narrator you can't help but fall in love with, even though you know her journey will break your heart in the end. Visceral with some truly chilling sequences, if you like gothic horror you should definitely have this on your radar.

A beautiful piece about lost childhoods and the struggle to be gracious with your child self when you've been brought up in the spotlight. It saddened me how much Christopher's circumstances in the 1940s mirrored those of children exploited by their influencer parents in the digital age today. Even so, each of these characters, including Christopher's father, are rendered with such grace. The bittersweet note the piece ends on is just perfect.

In ten minutes, this play will have you wholeheartedly rooting (and cringing) for these kids as they try to figure out their will-they-won't-they relationship amid a spontaneous hookup. The characters are funny and likable with impeccable chemistry. The humor never misses a beat, yet Muccia also knows how to balance it with a vulnerability that feels earned. This is a treat from start to finish.

The history in this play is fascinating and all-too relevant. In ten minutes, Sanchez manages to say so much about the treatment of women in male-dominated spaces and the compromises they're forced to make if they want to stay in the game. There are no easy solutions offered here, but there is a way forward through solidarity.

A play about parenting, or rather the desire to be a parent; the ways it's idealized by the characters in the play, and the reality that simmers beneath the surface. Each scene is more gripping than the last, building toward a final image that manages to be both hopeful and devastating. There are layers to this play that I can't even begin to unpack, but I know I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while.

Powerful, honest, and relatable. A great monologue for an actor to chew on.

SCREEN TIME serves as a cautionary warning about letting phone addiction consume our lives and relationships. It often feels like a car crash you can't look away from as the central couple gets pulled more and more into the world of their AI baby and their personalities twist and fracture. It's also a comedy. A really funny one. Until it's not.

A play about love during the digital age and the one that got away. These characters have so much chemistry and great banter, you can't help but root for them to somehow work things out, even when things take a somewhat dystopian turn. So good.

A play that reminds you every activist movement was made by real people in all their messiness. Josephine is flawed and sometimes lets her emotions cloud her judgment, but it's also her heart that makes her such a powerful activist. Over the course of the play, she learns to trust her own voice instead of diminishing herself as she realizes she is just as capable of leading as the figurehead she has put on a pedestal. It's a joy to see her come into her own power.