Recommended by Sam Heyman

With “Clone,” DC Cathro has crafted a taut, morally trenchant thriller that is sure to grab audiences. The situation that these characters find themselves in is far from enviable, but Cathro’s tight plotting reveals the humanity — and cruelty — lying beneath the surface of each character’s facade. The subtle world building raises compelling questions about autonomy, ownership, and what society would do when faced with the realization that clones walk among us. An excellent, searing drama.

There is an intensity, a manic ferocity to girlhood that many writers fail to capture. It's easy to revel in mean girl tropes, or delight in the supportive, diverse friend group, but much trickier to admit that the much thornier beast are the girl-friends -- and girlfriends -- whose identities are tied to their friendships so desperately that it has a risk of disfiguring them. In "Estbray Iendsfray," Emmy Kuperschmid absolutely nails this shade of tweenage/teenage devotion with humor, emotion, and expert script-craft. This is a play -- and playwright -- to watch!

Like a bite sized Toy Story for the geriatric set, “Just An Old-Fashioned Love Song” imagines a conversation between once beloved furniture from a certain beloved household. Williams does delightful character work, bringing the inanimate to life along with their egos, their anxieties, their hopes and fears. This is a play with love in every stitch.

A heart wrenching farewell, exquisitely told, “The Prince’s Shadow” imagines the private moments between Prince Hal’s ascension to the throne and Ned Poins’ quiet departure from the former’s story. Blevins expertly utilizes elevated language to weave this short tale into being with artistry and empathy.

It's farcical. It's violent. It's... oddly romantic? It's TAKE MY WIFE! by Sarah Jae Leiber!

This self-described fever dream of a play skewers the manic enthusiasm of couples centric game shows, vintage advertising, and bloody, sexy capitalism. Leiber's characters leap off the page, and make you want to see this twisted world come to life on stage. Extra points for Bonnie and Clyde references and a whole new meaning for "car sex."

Dickery Pokery is not for the squeamish, but audiences will no doubt be squealing with laughter at this surprisingly heartfelt comedy from Brandon Urrutia. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do for his wife, and a hapless Claire’s employee probably wishes she had rethought her choice of internship setting. This play is sure to be a highlight at ten minute play festivals!

Ian Donley takes us from whimsy to darkness and back again with “A Seussified Grindr Date.” This short play uses the lyrical cadence of Seuss to navigate through what appears at first glance to be a typical hookup, but when things get serious, we are left with the nervous, vulnerable, angry emotions underlying a hookup’s impersonal trappings. There’s depth to both the words and the actions in this short play. Excellent stuff!

"You construct elaborate rituals which allow you to touch the skin of other men."

The central sports-bar bros of Evan Baughfman's "Blunk" are on two different ends of one sort of ritual, possibly on its way to becoming another, and it is a humorous, homoerotic delight to behold! So much can be said beneath a look and a touch, and these two have a lot going on under the surface. A tight, one-minute comedy!

Ugh, I cried! This is an incredibly tender romance that Dylan Horowitz has written, and if you’re a fan of summer love, queer or not, BOAT SPOTTING is a must-visit destination. Ash and Eden are adorable and relatable to anyone who’s struggled to step into the deep end, and anyone who has stood in the water waiting for their loved one to find the courage. A fabulous short play.

What a powerful, resonant play! Amidst its own pandemic backdrop, Tapping At The Window tells of a time we would like to think we have moved beyond: a time of precariousness for women and particularly for anyone suffering from mental illness. Weaving poignant family drama with meditations on grief and guilt, Julie Zaffarano has created a skillful and emotional play that is sure to move audiences and provoke conversations.