Recommended by Nan Barnett

Oh I love these characters and this play. Funny, touching, and inspiring, provocative and powerful, this one deserves your attention, especially if you are interested in seeing smart, funny, characters of color on your stage and have a desire to work with a flexibly sized chorus.

A gorgeous, lush look at the lives of three generations and the impact of the Holocaust on them. Past, present, and future combine as the story moves back and forth, giving us glimpses of how their love both protects and hinders them. A beautiful play from a writer to watch.

BR'ER COTTON by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Partnering NNPN Member Theaters were Kitchen Dog Theater (Dallas, TX), Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble (Los Angeles, CA), and Cleveland Public Theatre (OH).

A look at the lives of those rarely seen on stage - two young people, living on the margins of society, each attempting to be their best possible selves while pushing back against the forces of poverty, the criminal justice system, the failures of America's social services, and the prevailing winds of racial tension. Their friendship is a delight, their resilience empowering, but the story is steeped in the truths of where and when we live. This is a play for those looking to reflect all aspects of their community in programming.

I love this play and can't wait to see it produced. This story of two people brought together by climate and cirumstance is Beckett-like in its approach to communication, setting the stage for two remarkable performances. This is your play if you'd like a dark comedy about the connections humans make and break, and the magic that can result from a bond beween humans. (Oh, and a rabbit.)

What a twist! This comedy about the perils of mothering in the post-modern (and slightly post-present) age turns from a delightful and very funny examination of class, female friendship, and the eccentricities of being “a good mother” to a post-civilization as we know it life and death trial. At first humorous and then increasingly horrifying, this is a strong play for a smart audience and a multiracial cast of 4 women and one man.

Sharp, witty, surprising, and twisted enough to leave you laughing at yourself for laughing at it. This sibling story is so perfectly now that you'll wonder why it hasn't actually already happened. Or maybe it has. Texting, technology, and terrible typing make for some great comedy.

This play was a revelation to me. A haunting look at a soul destroyed by fear, injustice, hatred, and the scars left by secrets both revealed and kept hidden. Its echoes of Streetcar bring a classic foundation to this very modern story of immigration, assimilation, and trauma, and reminds us how things unspoken can often become the loudest voice in a life of lies and love. A great opportunity for diverse casting and theaters wanting to explore the intersection of cultures within a home, a community, and the world.

A gorgeous story of love and dedication, writ large on a mom and her adopted son, who she has done her best to raise in a warm, supportive, inclusive environment with plenty of room for his cultural heritage. When his need to know more leads them on a road trip to the beginning its anyone's guess where they'll end up. It's a lyrical, light-filled look at best intentions and the best kind of parenting, the kind that encourages exploration, allows for surprises, and embraces the whims of the world.

Oh my goodness - I can not tell you when I have laughed as hard as I did when I saw this reading. It's a femme-farce with a punch, a cross-dressing comedy with a twist, and a Bandit -filled blast to experience. It's queer, it's hysterical, and it deserves a wonderful door slamming, dildo slapping, dick swinging production!!