Recommended by Sam Heyman

Heartbreaking and beautiful, Greg Vovos’ “Every, Every” captures the essential magic of theatre: its connective power to bring people together even during times of hardship, to foster bonds of friendship and love, and to provide solace to those dealing with the unimaginable. There are tragedies that cannot be justified, and this play does not attempt to, but it shows us that grieving alone is a choice. We can bring our light to others, even if we don’t know we have it to share.

A good experiment uses misdirection to reveal, and in some cases exacerbate our biases, and John Busser has devised an excellent one with "All Too HumAIn". Audiences will be on the edge of their seat as the play's central Turing test goes off the rails... or perhaps goes exactly according to plan. Compelling and twisty!

Peter Fenton turns a teacher's cruel Dad joke into a student's worst nightmare in "Angles in the Snow." There's an elegant simplicity to the imagery in this piece, which is formatted like a screenplay to enable a few visual gags, and audiences are sure to acutely enjoy Mr. Beckett's willfully obtuse banter with his student, Carolyn. Chilling good fun.

With hilarious juxtaposition of the mundane reality of domestic life during the holidays and the romanticized, sensuous pleasure of fantasy romance, Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend's DAYDREAM is a short that is sure to have audiences cackling. I appreciate how the lovers in Heather's fantasy demonstrate that the hottest thing about sex is consent (not to mention remembering the miracle gummies.). A hilarious short that truly hits home!

An excellently imaginined short play with charm to spare, Monica Cross' TUBA BOY places us into a novel, whimsical setting with young superheroes that are more Batman than the Avengers. Cross has laid the foundation for a world rife for exploration, with so many potential characters and scenarious that I am positively vibrating with anticipation! Perfect for young audiences and actors.

Well well (welly-well) well! I’m not sure many playwrights could have sustained or conceived of this premise as well as Daniel Prillaman, but we’re all wonderfully well off because he has. A cheekily festive short wrapped up with a bow.

In our post-truth world, there is but only one saving grace: SWAMP THING. Jennifer O'Grady skewers and perhaps predicts where our nation is headed with this hilarious monologue, even fitting in gender specific chauvinism based on the actor portraying its central character. There's a lot to be anxious about as we head into a new presidency, but at least we can still laugh about some things. Excellent work!

There’s something awe inspiring about the meticulous care with which Arianna Rose has constructed The Lesser Leyendecker. A pronged and poignant bio-drama with theatrical flourish, this play demonstrates a visionary talent for taking the facts of historical record and imbuing them with the heart and magic they deserve. An excellent feat of stage craft, I can’t wait to see where this play goes next.

11/26/24: The poetry of one's mind, captured with exquisite elevated language by Nora Louise Syran, dazzles and mystifies in Emily & The Mind of God. Emily Dickinson has a distinctive voice, both on the page of this play and in her poems, and Syran emulates that voice effectively here, navigating the final moments of Dickinson's life. Poignant and powerful, this play would be a gift to an actress moved by the cadence of its verse.

There was a time when humanity believed our planet was the center of the universe. Even as we've become more 'worldly,' mankind is still somewhat self-centered and positions the center of their own personal universe someplace close to home. Philip Middleton Williams reminds us that our paths around the sun may bring us closer and further away from our center, but it is the connections we make along the way that make the ride bearable, even when flight plans go awry. A tender, human play.