Recommended by Ashleigh Ann Gardner

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    A witty, fun, and apt depiction of what happens (physically and mentally) when we attach ourselves to those who stunt our growth. With vibes that honor Stoppard and Beckett, Loftus's short ten-minute piece delights and teaches important lessons about honoring one's own spirit.

    A witty, fun, and apt depiction of what happens (physically and mentally) when we attach ourselves to those who stunt our growth. With vibes that honor Stoppard and Beckett, Loftus's short ten-minute piece delights and teaches important lessons about honoring one's own spirit.

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    Cole beautifully captures the complex and deep bond between sisters who have a shared grief and a deep history of loving one another and their mother. The sweet surprise hidden inside the blanket fort was a tear-jerker moment. A lovely tribute to sisterhood.

    Cole beautifully captures the complex and deep bond between sisters who have a shared grief and a deep history of loving one another and their mother. The sweet surprise hidden inside the blanket fort was a tear-jerker moment. A lovely tribute to sisterhood.

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    A heartbreaking and loving reminder that our loved ones never leave us. The twist was so well done that I went back to read a second and third time to admire the strategy Cole used to mask it.

    A heartbreaking and loving reminder that our loved ones never leave us. The twist was so well done that I went back to read a second and third time to admire the strategy Cole used to mask it.

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    An absolute heartwarming gut punch of a play about friendship, closure, and vulnerability. It's so refreshing to read something that features men being so open and honest with one another. As a DND player myself, the game mechanics and storytelling presented here are spot-on, and I admire Freeman's dedication to accuracy and showcasing the friendship and community that is built during a game of DND. A line I particularly loved: "I once ate Dominoes and felt my whole body reject it.".

    An absolute heartwarming gut punch of a play about friendship, closure, and vulnerability. It's so refreshing to read something that features men being so open and honest with one another. As a DND player myself, the game mechanics and storytelling presented here are spot-on, and I admire Freeman's dedication to accuracy and showcasing the friendship and community that is built during a game of DND. A line I particularly loved: "I once ate Dominoes and felt my whole body reject it.".

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    Incredible. A tense, well-paced, and thought-provoking script that examines how women, especially Black women, in power and in the public eye are treated by the populace. Esther's drive, talent for speaking truth, and emotional candidness is refreshing and powerful, and Sarah's diabolical religious fervor and purpose-driven aggression is terrifying to witness. It would be a privilege to see this staged. Love's dialogue had me on the edge of my seat: laughing, gasping, and chuckling with anxiety.

    Incredible. A tense, well-paced, and thought-provoking script that examines how women, especially Black women, in power and in the public eye are treated by the populace. Esther's drive, talent for speaking truth, and emotional candidness is refreshing and powerful, and Sarah's diabolical religious fervor and purpose-driven aggression is terrifying to witness. It would be a privilege to see this staged. Love's dialogue had me on the edge of my seat: laughing, gasping, and chuckling with anxiety.

  • Ashleigh Ann Gardner: Inscription by Lewis Shilane
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    Tense and turbulent, "Inscription" presents an awkward meeting between academics that turns from cordial to confrontational when an assistant professor discovers he hasn't earned tenure. Insightful and a well-paced slow burn.

    Tense and turbulent, "Inscription" presents an awkward meeting between academics that turns from cordial to confrontational when an assistant professor discovers he hasn't earned tenure. Insightful and a well-paced slow burn.

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  • Ashleigh Ann Gardner: Trojan Women ATL* by Lauren Gunderson
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    A hauntingly raw and terrifying portrayal of human trafficking that ends with in an explosive union of sisterhood. Facing an uncertain and certainly grim fate, Gunderson's Trojan women find hard-won community through their shared fears, not only of HIM and his assistant, but also of a world outside that may never believe their story. Wonderfully honest and brutally powerful, this script shows us what women (and men who choose to help) can do to write the future for themselves and others.

    A hauntingly raw and terrifying portrayal of human trafficking that ends with in an explosive union of sisterhood. Facing an uncertain and certainly grim fate, Gunderson's Trojan women find hard-won community through their shared fears, not only of HIM and his assistant, but also of a world outside that may never believe their story. Wonderfully honest and brutally powerful, this script shows us what women (and men who choose to help) can do to write the future for themselves and others.

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  • Ashleigh Ann Gardner: It's About Time by Dan West
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    An absolutely and delightfully wild absurdist supper. The increasingly wild antics and philosophical discussions are paired well with straight and honest dialogue, resulting in a wonderfully fun and thought-provoking play that presents audiences with relatable characters and relationships while challenging theatergoers with questions on the nature of time, legacy, cause and effect, and religion.

    An absolutely and delightfully wild absurdist supper. The increasingly wild antics and philosophical discussions are paired well with straight and honest dialogue, resulting in a wonderfully fun and thought-provoking play that presents audiences with relatable characters and relationships while challenging theatergoers with questions on the nature of time, legacy, cause and effect, and religion.

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  • Ashleigh Ann Gardner: Warning Shot by Dan West
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    A chilling reminder of how, without nuanced understanding and a solid grasp of consequences, one person's love of anything (country included) can result in violence and tragedy. Casey's blunt and near-emotionless delivery of facts about firearms and personal political beliefs are a stark reflection of today's desensitized youth in the face of publicized violence and political upheaval.

    A chilling reminder of how, without nuanced understanding and a solid grasp of consequences, one person's love of anything (country included) can result in violence and tragedy. Casey's blunt and near-emotionless delivery of facts about firearms and personal political beliefs are a stark reflection of today's desensitized youth in the face of publicized violence and political upheaval.

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  • Ashleigh Ann Gardner: Left Unheard by Perse Grammer
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    A tender and heartwarming portrait of hidden disability, relationships, and how they intertwine. Alodia's relationship with D is as much a tug of war as it is a negotiation, and the play's use of magical realism allows readers and audience members alike to visualize the burden and distraction of disability. Grammer's script showcases what it's like to fight not only with ourselves, but with the projected image of what we think others might see when we reveal our deepest secrets.

    A tender and heartwarming portrait of hidden disability, relationships, and how they intertwine. Alodia's relationship with D is as much a tug of war as it is a negotiation, and the play's use of magical realism allows readers and audience members alike to visualize the burden and distraction of disability. Grammer's script showcases what it's like to fight not only with ourselves, but with the projected image of what we think others might see when we reveal our deepest secrets.

    ”