Recommended by Iyna Caruso

Look Away is so up my alley. I had no idea about this shocking historical episode that has so much relevance today. This is a chapter in American history that deserves to be heard. Kudos to Morey Norkin for bringing it to life and ensuring the story is more than a footnote.

A heartbreaker of a play cleverly executed. A bagel represents a simple but elusive pleasure that takes on a bigger meaning in the struggle between an aging man and his youthful self.

A fascinating exploration of the internal gymnastics it takes to get to a place where healing can begin. Wendy Vogel’s richly drawn character takes us through the full range of emotions. We’re sorry for her, frightened for her and cheering for her. Would love to see this monologue performed. I could imagine hearing a pin drop at the end.

What writer can’t relate to the chaos of multiple drafts? I got sucked in right away. Super clever and great laugh-out-loud fun.

As someone who’s written plays on art-related topics, I was smitten with Lynn Millar’s playful take on John Singer Sargent and his most famous portrait. How fun to see the subject of his masterpiece come alive and rekindle their relationship, if ever so briefly.

Resentments bubble up from unexpected places in Paul Donnelly’s family drama set against the backdrop of a Thanksgiving Day gathering. Donnelly does a stellar job of ratcheting up the tension as he explores changing dynamics, fresh starts and the challenge of seeing loved ones anew.

A few years ago this would have been pure sci-fi, but with each passing day a scenario like this comes closer to reality. Is it wrong to be rooting for these two to get together? Morey Norkin’s delightful Flight of Fancy gives us plenty of laughs but also a lot to think about.

“Thoughts and prayers” following a school shooting is given new meaning. Brian Cern’s satire on gun violence takes a dark turn in a hurry and makes its point decisively. Not a wasted word here.

An anxiety dream before the first day at a new school might go something like this. Mina is the new student whose first day at school goes from ordinary to bewildering. Lucky us--we get to enjoy one wild ride. Andrew Martineau’s quick-paced comedy perfectly captures what it feels like to be an outsider and does so within a wholly original framework.

I wish I read this during the worst of the pandemic when I could have really used some big laughs. The characters are, by turns, hilarious, biting, maddening, relatable and, ultimately, endearing.