Recommended by Maximillian Gill

A powerfully focused play. I'm still staggered that it only has three characters but successfully encompasses many more voices and experiences of trauma. Perpetrators are wisely not depicted so we are able to devote our full attention to the lives that were destroyed by the very real monsters that infected the film industry. All perspectives are balanced, there are no easy judgements of any of the characters. Everything is infused by a genuine love of the craft and medium of film. Urgent work.

A truly wonderful piece. The humor is immediately engaging, and Barry gets a lot of fun out of a cast of kids who deservedly act like their upcoming performance is the biggest thing in their lives. The monologues offer great character and comedic moments. Each of the characters is both broadly and finely distinguished. The ending caught me off guard with a moment of beauty and tenderness that is absolutely earned.

I was fortunate enough to see a reading of this powerful two-hander. Diaz develops the relationship between the two characters with consummate delicacy, humor, and grace while exploring the complexities of how people care for themselves and for others' needs. Every moment feels natural and inevitable, and we come to love these characters as they learn to love each other.

The immediate, visceral effect of this short piece is gripping and terrifying in its implications. It gets under your skin. The voices in the play seem to come from the id of a nation in turmoil and strife. They are haunting. I can imagine a creative director doing some interesting things with this play. I'm still reeling from what it says about now, yesterday, and tomorrow.

The immediate, visceral effect of this short piece is gripping and terrifying in its implications. It gets under your skin. The voices in the play seem to come from the id of a nation in turmoil and strife. They are haunting. I can imagine a creative director doing some interesting things with this play. I'm still reeling from what it says about now, yesterday, and tomorrow.

The slow burn of this intense play burns very brightly indeed. The characters are immediately engaging and each have their fun quirks and mysteries, but slowly, the tension ramp ups, particularly with the arrival of a mysterious stranger. I especially love that Ruyle's work leaves us with no easy answers and no simple solutions to get beyond division. Everyone has their say and then some, and everyone speaks from real, lived experience. Vital and artfully crafted as well as very timely.

This short piece expertly builds strength, beginning with a simple opening, increasing tension in gradual and subtle ways, and landing on a powerful close that metaphorically and quite literally sings. It's impressive work, a testament to acceptance and all-encompassing love.

I love stories involving demons, and if those demons are snarky demons, even better. I especially enjoy the way this short piece begins with demons just sitting around talking about what it's like being demons. Lots of funny stuff, and this play is the kind of comedy that I like best: One that draws you in with wit and then hits you with something profound and meaningful. It's a space that Floyd-Priskorn excels in, and the writer's gifts are on full display with this one.

I was fortunate enough to see this play performed at the Fresh Fruit Festival and experience DeVita's madcap piece on stage. What I always love about the writer's work is how much it rewards careful attention to the little details and witty asides. I frequently found myself laughing at a line and then laughing even louder as my brain caught up to DeVita-speed and uncovered the extra level of humor that was so carefully layered in. At the core of this noirish farce is a sweet tale of someone trying to salve their grief and discover what they truly value.

This moving play skillfully connects us to the human cost of our ravaging of the planet. I was fortunate enough to see it performed as a staged reading, and I was especially struck by the evocations of a water-logged world, which filled the space with images that still haunt me. As in the best speculative works, Vaughn's world-building is detailed and gives us a glimpse of life in a time of scarcity. A thoroughly gripping piece.