Recommended by Claudia Haas

What a beautiful script for two young men. Hageman showcases the power of imagination - how it brings joy, how it helps one cope and best of all - how the worlds you find on your own empower you. And I really wish there was a “swashbuckling badge” in scouting.

“Nothing escapes judgement.” Martin uses that line and runs amok with it. Should art be competitive? In this delightful romp, it is the children who know the answer.

Original and clever, Rose leads you up the comedic garden path until things are not what they seem. It’s bittersweet watching a family reenact the past as the future lies in doubt.

I am sitting here stunned. What astounding moments Sapio has captured. I had read about the origins of “the kiss” and Sapio has taken it and turned it and twirled it and found truth. It should be produced everywhere. And used as an example of how powerful a ten-minute play can be.

Hansen deftly weaves beautiful tales into a tapestry of light and love and adventure and goodness. The tales are chock full of wit and magic. The characters are almost-good and almost-evil but not as black and white as the Grimm tales. It’s a pleasure to find strong female folklore tales plus it’s a grand introduction to the folklore of Indonesia.

I wanted to act in every play Wasserstein wrote. She spoke to me and for me. Karen Fix Curry captures the essence of this amazing playwright. The ending - where Wasserstein mentions not wanting to be political - but writing her characters is political - is a truth. Beautiful, honest and moving, it made me miss acting. And miss Wasserstein even more.

There’s so much to take in: to think, to feel, to know, to not know. Edan knows teens. Nobody’s black or white. Yeah, some are popular - some are not - but nobody is a stereotype. There are surprises and before the ending, you have grown fond of this group of teens. You care about them all which makes you ache for all of them at the end.

Cheers to new mistakes. Here’s to putting your phone away and trying something new. A charmer with enough hesitation to keep you wondering... what’s a risk? And what’s worth the risk? I love the wonder of the first kiss at any age. It never goes away.

Tender, funny, and fierce - there is so much in this play. We see the beginning of a child’s imagination and how it comes from both reality and wishful thinking. We see two lives with ups and downs who were so lucky to have met. And we see two children and their remarkable potential as adults. Whew, that’s a lot in a short play. Succinct, seemingly small but huge in scope. It’s a beauty.

So hit me with an abacus, databases are funny. So is Death (really) and the desperate attempt to stay alive. When Death comes knocking at your door, it may help to have a once-a-nerd math major on your side. An absolute bonkers two-hander that would be a delight on any stage.