Recommended by Sam Heyman

Quite possibly the greatest crossover event of all time - or maybe that's just one playwright's humble opinion. I love this play - it's a powerfully illustrative piece that speaks to every writer who has wrestled with self doubt and every person whose creative spark has been fanned into a flame by the bonds of friendship. I am so glad that this play and so many other plays were written. Thank you, Steve Martin and thank you, Matthew Weaver. I am eternally inspired and moved by you both.

What a refreshing take on a trope whose subversion can sometimes feel like it's being played 'straight' - with "Coming In," Christopher Plumridge stages a lively scene between two parents, their child and their child's new partner that is sure to get a laugh out of readers and audiences alike. I appreciated how plausible the conversation was, though the turns in the dialogue do veer toward the farcical at times - Plumridge nonetheless balances things excellently well.

This was a lovely play, imagining where the world might end up decades from now, while reflecting on the present moment. With "Light the Way Back," Rachel Luann Strayer carefully fosters hope in the resilience of the human spirit, while powerfully demonstrating the worth of the art made by playwrights, actors and artists of all kinds who come together around creating work for the stage. Even as bleak as the future may seem, there is always a chance that a light will guide us back to what connects us, to what makes us human.

With "This Year," Greg Lam stages -- or perhaps, casts on our screens -- a cutting, biting satire about what increasingly feels like the end of the world. As the characters wonder what fresh hell awaits them on their morning commute, readers and audience members can't help but laugh, even if they wish they could just scream about it. Excellent play for zoom and digital formats, could probably work on stage as well.

There is something wistful and compelling about stories that explore immortality, and few quite tap into the human struggle with losing one's humanity better, and with as much economy, than Monica Cross's THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING. As two voyagers seek out a new world on which to reignite mankind's spark, they grapple with hope, hopelessness and a desire to reclaim what they have lost: the ability to not just survive, but to live.

Perfect, down to the last sip of Mountain Dew from a wine glass. Matthew Weaver continues to be a pioneer in using playwriting as a form of communication and connection, tipping his hat to the readers--and the specific reader--who seem to love his work best.

Amazingly well done. The entitlement, the reversals, the ending! I loved Office Hours, and if you've spent time in education, I think you will too.

There are so many individually good lines in this bite-sized comedy from Christopher Soucy, it's hard to pick one favorite. I appreciate how "Panic" leans into the audacity of its characters in the face of impending calamity - and the names, randomly generated, are impeccable!

What a lovely exploration of non-binary identity as it intersects with Jewish identity! I appreciate how Emma Goldman-Sherman lets Adele's reaction to Deb's desire to be "Not a Bat Mitzvah" with authenticity and empathy. Parents don't always understand, but it's refreshing to see a Jewish parent take their child's queerness in stride, with an interpretive response that embraces the before of them and prepares for what comes next.

A clever, short-form take on a familiar premise - the interplay between this two-hander's central figures is humorous and real, their motivations and proclivities immediately clear. I was tickled by the specificity and the references that come after the play takes its meta turn. I have no doubt that this will be a crowd-pleaser, Norkin's accolades, well deserved.