Recommended by Heather Helinsky

I found the central relationship between married couple Bird and Leon clear and compelling, as they are at ideological odds about whether it is better to stay and support the Black community, or build a life abroad and receive Respect. This play set in the mid-1950s feels fresh and relevant, as it builds tension and dramatizes various ways that liberal-leaning white people cause harm to Black individuals, in a way that will spark audience discussions about power dynamics that have and continue to exist as a reality for the Black experience in America. Solid structure, potential for further exploration.

I highly enjoyed this wild romp into the performative world of online identities creating fake news and celebrity gossip. Leigh M. Marshall has a highly theatrical, stylized vision for her work, and this play takes us on a journey for a community sense of belonging through the online masks worn; centering BIPOC, working class characters in their search of joy and empowerment through their online persona. If you are a producer and truly believe in building new audiences, staging this innovative play will speak generationally (if you know, you know!) and have great emotional impact for the story's darker turns.

This re-imagining of Hedda set in Maya Angelou's home in Harlem is compelling, with fresh takes and nuanced perspectives on the black experience in America, connected to the traumatic legacy of the destruction of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, 1921. This adaptation illuminates themes of contemporary relevance, and delivers nuanced characters and a tour-de-force for a leading black actress. Producing Daley-Sharif's play HEDDA AND GEORGE would subvert the countless revivals of dead white writers that never say anything new or resonant with issues in contemporary America. You'll be caught up in the suspense of this story as well!

After witnessing the Hollins production of CHRYSALIS at KCACTF Region 4 in 2024, I could not recommend this play more highly for future production opportunities. Mirage's journey relates to the experience of many who experience trauma in a relationship which then creates deep fears when one is finally in a positive, loving relationship. The structural twists and turns of a memory play were also well-orchestrated and contributed to the overall powerful emotional impact and ultimate catharsis. This non-linear play is a map of how to move forward and heal the heart. Well done!

I was immediately drawn into the world of the play through the cadence of the characters, which told me everything in the first 10-15 pages about Birdie's heartbreak that would unfold. Highly appreciated the many intentional choices, a primary one being centering Birdie's story on her mental health journey while the play peels away the layers of the emotional abuse in all her familial relationships. This play also provides opportunities for designers to play with lights and shadows of the theatrical woods and theatres to have nuanced conversations with their audiences about neurodiversity.

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced REMAINS AND RETURNS as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We appreciated the pacing and rhythm to dialogue, which contributes to the play's authenticity and captures the family dynamic well. We enjoyed the stylized approach to conveying what's unsaid in families, as this play explores the trauma towards a son, and the continual damage of covering up past hate with the facade of progress. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced THE WOMEN'S CENTER as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We highly enjoyed the clear, easy-to-connect with characters. We were engaged by the questioning of what safe space means when exploring body image, fitness culture and gender. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced INDISPENSABLE as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We appreciated the characters, especially the mom, as both adult children aim to succeed in a world with racial inequities and barriers to success in America. We saw great potential in this play as the twins Honor and Prosper ultimately learn what it means to be indispensable to each other. We hope this play of quick-paced scenes and clear reversals is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced [LANDSCAPE PLAY] as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were compelled by the strong sense of intentionality as the writer weaved together the life of Arctic explorer Matthew Henson with Kai, a 30 year old on the precipice of making a decision about her white boyfriend. We highly enjoyed the poetic heightened language and an explorer's journal-style introspection. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46

The community of National Committee readers for the 46th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We were compelled by this dangerous, tenuous power struggle between the characters, and the writer excels at building intrigue. We highly enjoyed the way the writer mixed in K-Pop along with the questioning of relationships and traditions in this story of sisterhood and trauma. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production. #BAPF46