Recommended by Anna Tatelman

I saw this play via MAP Theatre in Seattle February 2024. As with many of her works, this Kelleen play is wickedly funny, despite taking up such a dark subject matter. You'll laugh even as you cringe and wish you hadn't. The script has guts (pun intended), too, in how it probes challenging subjects like the frighteningly human attraction to violence and the desperate measures we might take to be beautiful.

I saw this at Thalia's Umbrella in February 2024 in Seattle. This is a brilliantly constructed play. The way it layers both the tensions and the mergings between the past and present, the personal and the political, is so richly and carefully done, yet in such a way that you won't realize on a first watch/read. Although some of the particulars of the Soviet Union may feel alien, the fear, paranoia, and constant-tip-toeing around a government caught between lies and all-consuming control is far too familiar.

I was lucky enough to see this piece at the 2024 Mid-America Theatre Conference. This play powerfully explores the complexities of grieving someone you loved, but had a challenging relationship with. It also gently introduces the audience to some facets of Jewish culture that they might not be familiar with. I appreciated how deftly the play swings from emotionally searing to some more light-hearted humor. A great addition to any 10-minute play festival!

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this play at the 2024 Mid-America Theatre Conference. Mikki does a great job subverting the audience's expectations at multiple points throughout this play, which keeps the tension high. At the same time, she never loses sight of the humanity of both her characters. I look forward to seeing how this excellent play develops in the future!

Moon Zoo is a great example of a play that functions as a comedy while probing at much deeper, uncomfortable truths about the ways in which we disrespect or misunderstand our environment. You'll laugh aloud at the "bear" shenanigans one minute and hold back your gasp at the flickering moments of purposefully-denied catharsis the next. A great choice for any ten-minute play festival.

If you're looking for a free class on how to write subtext, read this play. One Month Along tackles a host of complex subjects like love and betrayal that could become a bit bathetic, but not in the hands of Franky Gonzalez. I appreciate how there are no real heroes or villains in this piece, just three people trying to navigate their lives and artistic careers, unfortunately in ways that often hurt one another.

I saw this at the Detroit Rep in March 2024. This is a charming play ripe with both physical comedy and clever turns of phrases. I enjoyed the blend of traditional narrative elements with dashes of magical realism.

I saw this play at ACT in Seattle and also read the script a couple months ago. It was one of the best productions I saw last season and reading the script made it easy to see why. This play is incredibly tight, without a wasted second. The idea of expressing a child's complex feelings that they cannot yet articulate through the layered metaphors of wolf and puppet is brilliant. Each character is so clearly drawn through their different speech patterns, desires, and fears. Thank you for sharing this play with the world!

I saw this play at ACT Theatre in Seattle March 2024. Zora Howard does a wonderful job layering the stories of these three generations of related women. The script has a lovely rhythm, fluctuating between overlapping, chaotic dialogue, and moments where time thickens and slows, like moving through honey.

I saw this play performed by Blue Hour Theatre Group in 2022 and loved it. The play is something like what might happen if a crossover of Black Mirror and The Good Place were written by Rachel Bloom and Chuck Palahniuk. The script handles with great agility a number of complex theatrical elements, including genre-bending moments, entwined narratives, and meta aspects.