Recommended by William Meurer

Tales from the hill is an honest, hilarious, and heartbreaking look into what it means to be a young queer person today. Over the course of eight short plays, Sam Heyman dives deep into the lives and struggles of a group of college students as they navigate what it means to be queer both on their tiny college campus, and the greater world outside. From the fears of coming out for the first time, to the frustration that you’ve been sexiled by your roomate AGAIN, Heyman has created a beautiful story of friendship, love, and resilience.

A beautiful, poignant, and heartbreaking exploration of grief, mental illness, and when the two are so inextricably intertwined. Heyman's use of language and literary theory to show how Jackson sees and navigates the world around him is masterfully done, especially in scenes exploring the relationship between him and his equally academic mother. Through disembodied voices, creatively thought out worlds, and brilliantly written characters, Heyman takes us through the highs and lows of finding who you are in the face of extreme circumstances.

I had the pleasure of seeing this show recently at IATI theater in NY, and it quickly became one of my favorite plays I've seen all year. Erin Proctor's examination of the effects of the ten plague's on not just its victims, but also its prophets is bitingly funny, cleverly thought out, and above else brutal. Proctor's adaptation asks you to forget all other versions of Exodus you may already know, and to look at the story for what it truly is; a terrifying holy war where no side makes it out unscathed.

Aly Kantor has written an incredible coming of age story for a generation that has always had to keep one eye open at all times. Through various scenes throughout the course of their lives, we get to watch these characters grow and try to make sense of the seemingly never ending chaos happening outside of the "safety" of heir bathroom stalls.

Had the pleasure of seeing this during its run at the Tank in NYC and it did not disapoint. McCarthy absolutely goes to town in this lovingly eccentric spoof of Poe's cannon. Full of heart, humor, and early 2000's internet references, this play is the perfect choice for universities, fringe festivals, and lovesick e-boys.

An extremely funny, touching, and thought provoking play. Through the story of two sharks navigating the pressures to mate and keep their small population alive, Meghan Lohne explores themes of queer identity, societal expectations, and climate change with both thoughtful sincerity and a wonderfully absurdist sense of humor.

A fun and irreverent play that makes the end of the world something worth laughing about. Latham exploration of a nuclear apocalypse through the eyes of two queer friends is so fresh and funny that I can see it being the highlight of any short play festival.

Scholarship very much captures the frustration and "asinine" bureaucracy of going down to speak to the bursar's office. Artfully crafted in his comedic timing, Cern has created a very funny and relatable story that is sure to make you grimace in the best way possible.

A sweet and touching story of demonic proportions. Jacquelyn's off beat sense of humor and memorable characters shine in this story where darkness is all too easy to give in to.

Had the pleasure of seeing this live at the Tank in NYC, and it was truly one of my favorite theatrical events of that year. Horror and the stage have a very tepid history with one another, but Riley has found a way to bring them together in a way that you cant help but fear for the safety of the characters.
Riley's use of vampires to explore the plays theme's of queer, religious, and familial trauma are done both with tremendous nuance and outlandish comedy.
A fantastic play that I am very glad to have seen!