Recommended by Sam Heyman

The stage has so much potential to express, illustrate, and explore - few plays utilize this potential more effectively than Nora Syran's IMPRESSIONS OF PARIS. At once a docudrama, a multi-media feast, and an art-historian's delight, this work of art immerses you in the world of the impressionists and speaks powerfully to the challenges and triumphs of those called to be artists. Lovingly crafted, impeccably researched and impressive in its scope, Syran's play is destined to be realized on the stage, and to reach audiences the world over. Fabulous work!

There's such poetry and poignancy to this play that reducing it merely to its physical premise feels improper. The circumstances of River Timms' "dis/member" are gruesome, and the stage pictures it conjures are stark and bloody, but the play's language is dripping with truth, love, and exquisite, specific pain. Evoking Ethel Cain's "Strangers" and many of its stated influences, "dis/member"'s dangerous and intimate narrative will haunt you and break your heart.

Chilling, tense, and powerful, EVERYDAY MONSTERS is a two hander with incredible resonance and what will surely leave a lasting impact on audiences. Don Baker’s newest iteration of the script is a taut, gripping drama that deftly evokes a wide range of emotions. Excellent work!

“Postpartum” is a play you can see and hear as you read it, and the feelings of dread that it conjures will stay with you long after the play ends. The kind of horror that reaches inside you and leaves you breathless.

I love this tender take on sexuality, and the unexpected discoveries that can happen in the bedroom. With "Whoa!", Scott Sickles sidesteps the tired and tumultous narratives surrounding trans 'revelation' and instead forges a path toward a pleasant and pleasureful experience for both parties. An excellent monologue, not to be passed over!

The effects of trauma linger long after their source exits your life, and they have a way of warping one’s relationship with the self, and others. Don Baker demonstrates his understanding of this truth with this harrowing, heart-wrenching monologue. AFTER IT STOPPED stands alone and serves as a powerful companion to Baker’s EVERYDAY MONSTERS — readers moved by this prelude will want to check out the main event for more.

I love how Meurer builds suspense and ratchets up tension in this play, not just with dialogue, but with sound and action. Whatever the exact circumstances these characters happen to be in, I could see The Revenge Play striking a chord with audiences, especially Rachel’s.

What an intro to Christopher Soucy's take on Miskatonic University!

There's something about this school and its dark magnetism that keeps people coming back, even if most don't make it to graduation... I'm excited to see where Soucy will take these characters, and his readers!

Philip Middleton Williams has a remarkable knack for taking what could be a pulpy, melodramatic premise and imbuing it with just the right combination of humanity, humor, and heart. “A Good Year” bounces between every gay teacher’s nightmare and every gay man’s wet dream, but along the way, Williams demonstrates his well honed gifts at writing relationships, both between new acquaintances and former lovers. There’s a lot to admire in Williams’ characters as well, as each of the four roles gives their respective actor great material to work with. Excellent!

"Pilloried" has more than its share of world-worn wisdom to impart, and it does so in a way that is utterly disarming. This hilarious, historical two-hander from Jillian Blevins sees its protagonists awaiting humiliation at the hands of the public, while finding a way to turn the very nature of the pillory-punishment on its head -- or maybe knock it on its arse. Clever, thoughtful, and a treat for designers everywhere.