Recommended by Maximillian Gill

A trilogy about the end of the world (minor spoiler) comes to a stunning conclusion. Sickles presents the stakes right at the outset and then lets us settle in to enjoy these characters and a journey full of pain and loss, love and comfort. Those of us who have followed the two central characters from the beginning will delight in seeing where they are now as well as callbacks both poignant and humorous. I'm so pleased to have taken this journey to the end with them.

The snappy dialogue, sharp wit, and specific characters immediately drew me into this powerful play. I particularly love how early in the work Rosenberg gives us subtle glimpses of the vulnerabilities and broken psyches behind the bravado of these characters. We feel with them as they unravel and are completely there until the thrilling climax. Shattering commentary on celebrity and selfie culture.

A fun sci-fi satire that takes on a whole host of issues, from colonialism to the refugee crisis, from police shootings to gun safety. All of it is handled with a sharp wit and a willingness to show the limitations of all points of view. I can't help but really enjoy the running joke that in this future society the only things worth retaining from American culture are movies and TV shows. Nicely done!

I was really caught off guard by this wonderful play. This family-oriented drama about a son struggling with his mother's demands has great characters and particularly touching relationships between Ibrahim and his boyfriend and Ibrahim and his sister, but as in reality, the greater world intrudes on these people in a way that forces them all to consider what their identities really mean to them. All of the characters are real and specific, never cliched. Generous doses of humor enliven the drama without ever feeling forced. An achievement that really speaks to our times.

Two people negotiate a relationship and a completely bonkers board game. Through all the fun and the twists, the play slyly suggests that love itself is a game with a series of minor victories, betrayals, and awkward moves, and perhaps being in love means playing a game that never really ends. I saw a hilarious staged version in a festival with other love-themed shorts. Highly recommended!

A perfect, gem-like moment of self-discovery, of realizing who you are and where you come from but taking that crucial leap of faith of believing that you can do better. How Gonzalez captures that moment in this short piece with such graceful wit and such an intuitive feel for the profound things we say when we are completely failing at profundity is beyond me, but it is truly wonderful to read and behold.

Reddy's daring play manages to encompass an astonishing range of relevant topics, from class and race issues to gender inequality with all of its harmful effects both subtle and apparent. However, the piece is never preachy and always focuses on specific characters and their struggles. I am also impressed by how carefully the writer parcels out information about a central event that changed the lives of the characters in a way that keeps us intrigued but never confused until at last the full weight of the pivotal incident hits us. Stunning work.

There are moments in this play that are almost unbearably painful to experience. Osmundsen’s piece is raw and unsparing in its depiction of decent people who make selfish decisions, yet it’s always honest and nothing is pushed too far for dramatic effect. The writer knows better than to resort to the clichés that often pepper “parent dying of deadly disease” stories. He understands the complexities that make us human. The progression of the years is deftly handled, particularly in the writing of the dialogue for the two kids as we see them mature into adults. Impressively done.

A simply beautiful short play. The relationship at the heart is real, tender, and wonderfully rendered through memories of both big moments and small ones. The bond between the two characters is at the same time real and touchingly romantic. I am impressed by Williams’s natural feel for the dialogue of two people who understand each other deeply but who all too often fail to really understand each other.

Despite the advertising world setting, I forgot about “Mad Men” in the first couple of pages as this piece is driven by a delirious wit and verve that are distinctly DeVita’s. The dialogue is sharp, the characters glorious in their backstabbing, and the pace snappy. Kyle, Kate, and Dodo are all unique and unforgettable characters. The ad world details all ring true, and we are so immersed in the milieu that the stakes always feel heightened, yet throughout the corporate warfare the play maintains perspective and revels in the dream of flying high above it all. Masterful work.