Recommended by Ian Donley

This is a play that anyone who wants to introduce new works should consider producing. It's one of those plays where you can feel the passion and emotion in it just from reading it. Mak Shealy beautifully displaces the passion towards art in every component of the script from the characters to the stage directions. Reading this play truly felt like a psychedelic experience (just as it was intended). There are plenty of roles for younger actors to sink their teeth into. I'd love to see it live!

This play is so beautifully written and impactful. People have been writing about Jesus for centuries, but very few have been capable of writing a compelling play out of it. Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend is one of those people. The relationships between each of these characters is given fresh life and gives plenty of meat for actors to explore. This play feels reminiscent of Lucas Hnath's "A Doll's House Part 2" in this way. A wonderful and thought-provoking piece to consider for future productions.

I love genre plays that can tackle hot-button issues. In Blood/Sucker, Guerzon writes a clever vampire story reflecting the current state of education in America. The symbolism of corrupting the youth by turning them into monsters is not lost on me. The pacing is deliberately fast, allowing the action of the piece to build and build until it reaches its explosive and bloody finale. I would love to see this on stage one day.

Meta-theater at its finest. This is a ruthlessly funny and entertaining play that uses a well-known classic to explore ideas like race, fame, and what it means to be an artist. The writing is very clever, and each character feels like an appropriate cliche yet has their nuances.

This is the kind of play that feels alive just on paper alone. I can only imagine how it translates on stage. The characters feel real and complicated, each with their own emotions that are subtly yet profoundly explored. Any group of young performers would have a blast working on this play.

MILK AND GALL is a surrealist and haunting play about the state of motherhood during a tumultuous time in our country. We follow a new mother as her fears cause her to spiral and isolate from the people who love her the most. With that said, there's also a sense of hope by the end of it. Dratwa takes the audience on a journey on what it means to confront your fears head-on (even when your baby is a shapeshifter). There are many elements that would spark any director's interest to tackle.

This biting satire is one that will rattle many people. Even through its campiness, there's a deeper meaning behind it. The point about evangelicals controlling who goes to hell is something we see today in every facet of our culture, from the church to politics. Don Cummings does an excellent job delivering this idea through the concept of a "gay hell" that queer people are inevitably prone to. This would go well in a one-act festival, particularly one requesting LGBTQ+ stories.

Super evocative and highly effective in its delivery. The social commentary regarding performative activism screams at you on the page, which is hard to do with one minute play. This would fit wonderfully in a short play festival.

This haunting sci-fi play is both informative and entertaining. In his own way, Gatton crafts a story about how we can get lost in the past -both literally and figuratively- yet still find a way to connect to our futures. The script is full of twists and reveals that will keep any audience on their toes. The simplicity of the set design gives room for any director to make bold choices to visualize what's on the page in a multitude of ways.

This sentimental yet kooky Christmas play is guaranteed to resonate with many people. Rather than lean in heavily on the "Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year" trope, Hall adds a layer of pain that is familiar. Holidays can be tough for many people, and Hall does a great job of dissecting it through this family without losing the "Christmas magic" written into the play. Well done!