Recommended by Maximillian Gill

Thoroughly charming short piece. Tabitha is a wonderful character, and her interactions with the couple keep you enjoyed. I loved the descriptions of the environment of the petrified forest, realistic and evocative.

I'm simply astonished at the places this piece goes in just three short scenes. It never feels fragmented, rather it feels complete in the oddest and most elegant ways. There are elements of absurd comedy and brutal realism packed in here. It's a piece that really needs to be produced and engaged with.

The theological and philosophical questions at the heart of this short piece are fascinating. Like the best questions, they force us to reconfigure our views on sacrifice and how we derive meaning from parable and religious expression. More importantly, the philosophy is tied to personal human experiences and expressed through realistic dialogue between two characters who are fully rounded and realized. A compact piece that is going to stay with me.

I am so impressed by how many directions Lermond is able to pull our emotions and sympathies within this short piece while still staying in a very real scene and avoiding melodrama. The depiction never fails to ring true, and we are forced at every stop to question Rosie's take on her past and present. The resolution is disquieting on many levels. Powerful short play.

I love the location specificity of this piece. It could only take place in Astoria, Queens, yet it could take place anywhere in America. The characters are all richly detailed and the dialogue grounded and true to the variety of perspectives and stories.

The writer of this piece has an astonishing way of playing out a seemingly quotidian scene and lulling us in with sprightly, amiable conversation before delivering a gut punch of a revelation that reverberates through all of the characters. This structural method, the realistic characters, and finely honed dialogue all keep us engaged in this wonderful play.

The conception of this stunning play is both simple and brilliant: A series of scenes taking place in different spots in a mall just before a mass-shooter event occurs. The characters represent the rich panoply of experiences and identities that make up the country, but all are specific and consistently engaging. Each scene digs into a different social ill with a deep respect for those affected. The ending ties everything together in a breathtaking way that urges action without offering easy solutions. Spiess manages to capture America in all its ugliness and promise in a tightly constructed piece. Wonderful work.

Out of the many delightful moments in this play is one that I absolutely love when we suddenly switch to the perspective of the supposed antagonists and see how they view our protagonists. Everitt successfully keeps us thinking about the characters, events, and choices of this endlessly fascinating piece. The ending is graceful and fully earned. A pleasure to read.

If this play had just a couple of moments of striking tenderness, warmth, and astonishing human connection I would've called it a success, but Yazmeen somehow fills the piece with such moments. The author's assured handling of the material is simply breathtaking at times. A key scene involves a "sex talk" that in a less confident voice could seem overly descriptive, but the author uses it to bring characters together in a natural and open way. The author's notes state "Bring truth to their story," I'm floored by how much truth this story holds.

Such a fun fantasy adventure! I love a play that has me rooting for all of the characters, each specifically rendered and relatable. Lots of Easter eggs for us lovers of geek culture and messages of personal growth and mutual understanding for audiences of all ages.