Recommended by Claudia Haas

Dement takes a narrative about the first known female playwright and spins a yarn that encompassed 2,000 years. And what a yarn it is. The protagonist, Roz, earnestly tries to tell the story of women without the “gaze of a man.” From the medieval past, to Hollywood today and deep into the future, she comes close to her dream, but it is always with sacrifice. Deftly written with great humor, this time-traveling tale asks the tough questions without the preaching. Original, funny, and nuanced, it’s a beauty of a play. Want an all-female cast? It’s waiting for you.

Connections are human needs and the heart of Miller’s play. An editor who has a column of “mistakes” and a young girl who is terrified of capturing her family on film because nothing is forever - are just a few examples of our need to be with each other. Life happens, characters evolve but their need for each other remains constant even when difficult. Epic in scope and detailed with care, the play offers us a smorgasbord on what it means to be human.

Is it better to go out into the world and want to know everything or to wait and let knowledge come at its own time? Do you ever wish to pause the earth so you can hold onto something precious longer? Hageman explores a lot of unknowns through the lens of a teen. Nothing is certain anymore in Jude’s life and she realizes that nothing will ever to certain again. But there are still surprises of amazing beauty. The sun comes up. There’s a new day and Hageman’s characters gives you that wonder.

Much ado about a murder and it’s all great fun. How many plays can combine snipes at The Library of Congress, adjunct professors, and Boxcar Children? Hayet has devised a clever little Clue-filled romp with three (dare I say it?) Plum roles for the picking.

A couple embarks on THE roller coaster of their lives. And as with the play, you hope it never ends. A winning romantic comedy that encompasses more than you think. In just ten minutes, Mullen gives two actors roles with depth and for those that love small roles that pack a punch, Mullen offers up a carnival worker just for you.

There are many choices to be made in Sheltered and Sobler lays them out with all the imperfections that occur when you are “doing the right thing.” Do you take a child from a loving home in Nazi-occupied Austria to a probable abusive home in the USA? What do humans owe to fellow humans fleeing a violent country? These questions fill our history books and provide few answers. A timely play that gives us good people striving to help. Is saving one person enough? Forty? What can one person do when governments refuse to help? A very thoughtful play.

With Guenevere, Cinoman turns the Arthur legend on its head and dissects it. Equality and goodness remain as does the patriarchy. Cinoman moves from the past ideals to the present realities with ease (and you start to realize that not enough has changed in male/female role perception as you may have wished). Humor comes even in the darkest places. With a bit of the Arthur legend here and A Lion in Winter there, what we have is a new and credible myth that stands alone. Long live Queen Quenevere.

A hurricane rages and and an older sister tells the story of “The Little Mermaid” to ease her younger sister’s fears. What unfolds is a timeless tale of adventure and coming of age. A two-headed seahorse with a touch of the Mad Hatter, a sorceress whose chants (probably) solve all, a non-musical but wannabe musical Prince and a Cookie-Monster-Lady-in-Waiting will delight young audiences. The two sisters who are the heart of the story reinforce family love and friendship. Zany and poignancy are effortlessly paired. Don’t wait for a hurricane to enjoy this play.

There are so many black holes. The black holes of war. The black holes of love. Bykowski has her characters dance around them trying to avoid them and also willing themselves to be consumed by them. It’s a world where stars contain hearts and hearts contain universes. A beautiful play about love, family, holding on and letting go. Brava to the three strong actress roles and throwing out a wish that this gets produced often - now and at least for the next 25 light years from now.

It’s hard to hold it together when you see the fallout from a shooting. There are wolves at the door and MacLean introduces us to all of them. Closure seems impossible. This is a uniquely American tragedy and nobody is left off the hook. It’s a topic that is hard to explore but for the sake of all of our innocents - exploration, discussion, and action must happen. MacLean has provided you with a start. The ending brought me up short and I was grateful for the last scene. But haunted by the memories of Lucy.