Recommended by Matthew Weaver

How much Internet and social media do our kids get exposed to? What happens when parents live by the rule, "Do as I say, not as I do?" Wyndham - so adept at handling highly pointed, emotional work grounded in reality - here offers a lighter touch that still has layers of complexity and barbed commentary. Plus, Spencer can crow victory over the parentals.
Every Wyndham monologue is a sight to behold, and future generations of performers will point to his beautiful words as the moment that they discovered just what the theatre, and they themselves, are capable of becoming.

Just a lovely piece of writing. Quiet and yet it contains so much of the entire world today. In her NPX debut, Kirkman shows us two individuals questioning their place, their role, and then she does the infinitely greater trick of not answering those questions, but
instead
she lets them land
upon the stage
and in our hearts
Added bonus: It's funny!!!
A very heartfelt, very humanist work, exquisitely rendered.
More, please.

I don't think there's a pet owner on the planet who would read O'Grady's fine OUT and not nod in agreement. O'Grady has a gift for looking at things from an animal's perspective - to moving effect in her monologues and to hilarious effect here. This is warm, gentle, noble and knowing. Also, it's an excellent exercise in minimalism. Any O'Grady addition to your festival or season would be a worthy one, and OUT is a perfectly wrapped treat.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I did have a Unicorn Frappucino when they came out, and I enjoyed it. Weingarten harnesses the limited edition drink for her own unique, hysterical, satirical purposes, with her signature style and voice. It's so funny and pointed, with a jagged dagger for an edge.

Bruce's words flow like poetry as their characters struggle with old heartaches and grief and loss. Everything is complicated and sad and weighed down by the past. The dialogue and stage directions are equally rich and vibrant, building towards an ending that's 100 times more complicated than it is happy, but still has a streak of happiness in the midst of so much world weariness. This play is so timely and relevant and lovely and warm and hard and soft and open and real. Make space for this PLACE in your theater, hug it and invite it to come stay.

If our plants could talk - what would they say about us? Hoke has always proven adept at handling heavy subject matter with ease- abusive relationships, how we talk to our friends and relatives about those relationships, proper plant maintenance - and here she does it in fresh and invigorating ways. As always with a Donna Hoke play, there are layers upon layers beneath the characters' actions. The occasional commentary from Xyler and Stamenis is delightful and unexpected. "Maybe the plant screams silently" made me laugh out loud during a tense moment. Expect to see this get many, many productions.

Just as I suspected, Carbajal's full-length plays are just as mesmerizing as his shorter works. SUBDIVISION is compelling from the get-go, as young Brian talks on a toy phone to his dead father. It's as though we are spying through a peephole at Carbajal's characters as they navigate their grief, over death and neglect, trying to make some sort of sense out of their fumbling and failing to do even that. And then Carbajal REALLY pulls the rug out from under us, only to do it again, giving everyone a new normal. Artful and masterful, Carbajal is a gifted storyteller.

Sickles tugs at our hearts as he reflects on the nature of humankind, particularly our uncanny knack to find a gentle grace as the end draws nigh ... I concur with Monica Cross, this is a MUST! Sickles is a master at taking extreme scenarios and holding them up to show us our humanity, our quiet dignity. Dale and Sam's love story would be a most fitting end to the likes of all of us. An excellent addition to an utmost, stellar body of work. If you haven't produced or read a Scott Sickles play, here's an excellent starting point.

A steamy treatise on old school faith and religion in the world today. Koivisto's innocent Being is back on earth with a mission, but keeps bumping up against modern times. This has a 2000 production listed in its history and is even more timely today. Would be very intrigued and interested to see it performed. Give it to your most fearless young performers, and play it for audiences that welcome/need to have their most comfortable answers questioned. A delightful fable with a contemporary bent.

"We're not sucking the audience into a gurgling mud pit." Yancey wholeheartedly embraces his meta concept and, in doing so, shines the spotlight on crucial theatrical positions in a very appealing way. It's a scream as we learn more and more about the gurgling mud pit play, and the crew reacts to each bit of new information. A very good way to inform the audience about the hidden heroes who bring shows together, and an excellent way to celebrate all that goes into a production.