Recommended by Ian Donley

Baylee Shlichtman produces an intimate look at grief using two of Shakespeare's famous characters. Shlichtman honors the Bard in the dynamic between them but breathes new life into through implementing new layers with race and culture. It very much falls in line with plays like "Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief" in that it gets the audience to re-evaluate these characters in through a fresh lens.

So sweet yet so raw at the same time. The tension stays but allows room for alleviation. It's disheartening (to say the least) to receive a cancer diagnosis. The beauty of this play is that its singular focus on the moment one receives said news allows the audience to be still in time with these characters, making the emotional impact of the play that much stronger.

The electricity within the action is palpable, and the fact that this script can be performed literal or through the action gives plenty of opportunities for any director who wants to tackle it. On the surface, it's a kinky back-and-forth that rings true to a modern-day sexual escapade. Underneath, it's a multi-layered push and pull between two men trying to get what they want, which are two opposing goals.

A strong piece of social justice type of theatre that is both personal and interactive. The characters serve as our tour guides in the play. This play has moments of education but also moments that give those who struggle to wrap their heads around gender identity a slap in the face. This is a play that stands out given its fearlessness and authenticity with bringing fresh voices to the forefront.

This play is so much fun! I never thought I would be chuckling like a kid over a Shakespeare play set in an office. Takacs has taken Shakespeare's famous language (and some familiar plotlines) and given it a modern twist. Never did I think I'd ever have a stoner character speaking in iambic petameter! It's smart, clever, and will have you in stiches! Produce this play!

This is one of the most intelligent plays I've read! "No Experience Necessary" is both a comedy and a social critique on the divide between Hollywood and middle America, expertly interwoven by Marshall Logan Gibbs. Gibbs takes the classic trope of mistaken identity and gives it a contemporary spin which, in my humble opinion, is much needed. This is a play that many people will find themselves relating to and, perhaps, inspire them to learn how the other half lives.

This is a play that explores self-perception and how we view ourselves and our needs with the needs of others around us (both real and imagined). Cole Hunter Dzubak knows how to dive into the emotional reality of the play without becoming too depressing. Grief is explored through every emotion written.

This is a sweet little play that encourages us all to find joy wherever we can no matter where we are in life. I finished reading it with a smile on my face!

Jerry Ayers’ play is a wonderful combination of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Peter Pan,” and a number of your childhood favorites. Ayers has managed to write a play that honors the fantasy genre while providing original ideas that blend in perfectly.

Paul Donnelly’s “Memorial Day” is educational and heart wrenching. Donnelly gives us a vulnerable observation during the height of the AIDS epidemic, and his characters are at their most raw. This, in turn, brings us as the audience together to feel the tragedy through the play, which will stick with you even after the curtain closes.