Recommended by Maximillian Gill

I love stories that recognize that World War II involved people of many different ethnic backgrounds, not just the ones represented in popular depictions. I also love the acknowledgement that women played a tremendous role. In this play, the typical "band of brothers" trope is turned around as we see women bonded through the experience of war. Trauma is handled with great care and we end on a message of resilience. A tightly written and urgent piece, necessary for our time.

This play captures the unsettling sensations of experiencing dreams and nightmares better than anything I've read in a while. It's eerie, steeped in death but surging with life, particularly in the central relationships. I love the way it pulls hope out of a world drenched in sorrow and loss. The stage directions are evocative, helping us imagine how glorious this piece would be fully staged.

A poignant examination of the connections and rifts between two very different generations. Intimate and funny, steeped in specific cultural references. When the two characters come together it's a joy to behold, when they fail to it's truly heart-breaking. The visual stagecraft metaphorically depicting a world falling apart is startling and a gripping close.

So much fun! A classic screwball comedy effortlessly transplanted to the current era in a way that subverts tropes and challenges stereotypes while still leaning into the most charming aspects of the genre. The writing is quick and witty, full of laugh-out-loud lines and moments. This would be an absolute pleasure to see staged with tight direction and an appropriately frenetic pace.

I am extremely impressed by how Finocchiaro maintains a balance between a scathing critique of reality show and media culture on the one hand, and a gripping examination of loneliness and emotional isolation on the other. I also admire how the language and creative staging create a whole world with just three actors. A play that speaks to today. It needs to be produced and experienced.

Sharply written with fully realized characters and naturalistic dialogue. I am especially impressed by the finely tuned structure. The central issue is introduced at the outset, after which we get to know the play's core trio in their everyday lives while the issue lingers in the background. The significant reveals come at the right time, forcing us and the characters to confront unresolved conflicts and emotions that have been kept in check. The final moments are affecting and well earned.

A fascinating and gripping play. The core story of friendship and grief is just one element in a piece that encompasses so much. Feit manages to toggle between the comic and tragic with a deftness that easily brings us along. The use of text from the original play gives an added richness while the chorus keeps us grounded in the world. Feit keeps all of these pieces in play in such a way that every bit draws strength from everything else. Astonishing work.

Endlessly fascinating, richly realized, and delivering the unexpected at every turn. The playwright creates a world adjacent to our own but tweaked in so many interesting ways. A tale of art and its passions and the temptations wrought by fame but also a coming-of-age tale with a real sweetness at its core. The opportunities for creative staging are numerous. A deliciously inviting piece.

A dazzling, tight, three-character play about music but so much more. Family and its perils, the troubled relationship between art and industry, the simple existential questions about why we do art, it's all in here, all tantalizingly interwoven into a chamber play full of humor and bravado. Best of all, we experience in full the messy, contentious, transcendent process of people coming together to reach inside and outside of themselves to create something beautiful. And a beautiful play it is.

After reading a decent amount of Gatton's work, I am convinced that this playwright is operating on a different frequency of creativity than most. The work never fails to rewire my brain in some glorious way. This is one of those plays that tantalizingly unfolds mysteries and answers in a way that kept me constantly engaged, and it truly defied all my expectations until the very last page. Above all, it is a rare work that carries a truly convincing message of hope for our time. A must read.