Recommended by Matthew Weaver

Fierce. Strong. I can't pretend to know anything about this perspective or speak for it. But I know we all need to hear it. See it. Read it. Again and again. Much power in a single page. Raw. Straight from the heart, straight to the heart. Put it on, over and over and over, on continuous repeat.

An interesting look at two marriages, and what happens when they mix and mingle. Who is more compatible: The couple that argues a lot, or the one that regularly swings together? The one where the wife plucks the husband's ear hair (one of my favorite scenes) or the one where the husband is suddenly drawn to the new neighbor? Hoke peppers a sexy situation with the intimacy of reality, and examines the intricacies of relationships. An underlying current of female strength runs through, as the husbands come to grips with all their fantasies really have to offer.

Burbano staggers in just five minutes with this very interesting imagining of life in an all-too-familiar tower with a notorious figure. (Not necessarily the one you're thinking of.) Timely and provocative, with sympathy for all, even for the central focus and her POV. Will have audiences whispering, will leave them thinking.

I keep thinking of TEACH as a Rubik's Cube. Hoke picks up a compelling social issue and examines it from every angle, even taking it apart and showing us what's inside. Gender-fluid casting compels audience members to determine whether there's a scenario in which a teacher-student flirtation is more understandable and even acceptable. In the end, everyone is a little bit guilty (some more than others), which is infinitely more interesting and realistic. Hoke never goes for the easy answers, leaving us to our own uneasy conclusions.

Intimate, well-crafted story that runs the gamut from love story to fallout from a tragedy. Sickles draws us in with compelling characters. We fall in love with Fletcher and Jeff as they fall in love with each other, before they even know that it's happening. The secrets that lie in their pasts, naturally, come back to haunt them, and here again Sickles proves to be exceedingly capable, breaking his characters down to make them even stronger, building to a triumphant finish. Destined to be a classic.

Beautiful. Captures a childhood innocence extraordinarily well, and reverberates with kindness, even in its saddest parts. Has a gentle humor woven throughout, particularly as Sam the Cowboy usually takes a moment to consider the things Sally, Leo and Mike have to tell him. (Love the horse's reaction to all the rattlesnake questions, too.) Lewis and his heroine Sally will change the way you look at fool's gold.

I love the concept of a fictional character confronting his creator about shoving his story into a desk drawer for years. Enjoyed the familiarity Donny and Bobby share - you cannot hide the truth from your own creation. Williams creates an engaging world with likable characters and an enjoyable, slightly world-weary tone. Anna and Barbara could be thankless parts, but in this playwright's capable hands they are strong in their own right. Williams has a gift for dialogue and for gently mocking romance novel language. We have as much fun as he does.

A fascinating, well-written approach to an uncomfortable, important topic. Strong, multi-dimensional characters, particularly Vanessa. I especially like the scene where Vanessa communicates only in knocks with the apparently "real" Elevator Girl. Richard and Peter are also fully-realized, each displaying dimensions of sympathetic and pathetic. Will launch discussions about rape culture and objectification that should be taking place. Sure to be a conversation starter.

I had heard about this script, a pleasure to actually get to read here. Uproarious and delightfully, cheekily naughty. Had me the moment long-suffering Yan mutters "I wish you'd rock mine," after Ling lectures her about not rocking the boat. A cleverly irreverent twist on a serious topic. Destined to become a staple, and deservedly so. Bonus points for seeing the astonishing dearth of dodos in theatre and actually doing something about it.

Fabulous. Fraught with tension and simmering underlying agendas. Strong characters with strong motivations that defy easy explanations and characterizations. Gloriously messy and rich with conflict. Akin to watching characters, particularly Vaughn, unknowingly walk themselves deeper and deeper into the murk until they find themselves exploding. A tour de force.