Recommended by Claudia Haas

There is an undercurrent of longing that permeates this play. It drew me in immediately and I couldn't leave. It has some elements of Under Milkwood - knowing what the characters say and then knowing their thoughts. And when there was silence, it spoke volumes. Love-lost, new-as-spring-love, fractured-love, wishful love, terrified-love, forever-love are so poignantly explored, audiences will relate, care and be moved. It's a beautiful ensemble piece.

If you've ever been terrorized by a minibar in a luxury hotel or wondered about the cleanliness of those pillows, this is your play. The play seems simple: an anniversary night in a luxury hotel. Do you whoop it up for all its worth trying out every so-called freebee (complimentary wifi, plush robe, body pillows)? You know this couple. You know they've been together for many years. Their intimacies, frustrations and declarations as they jumped subjects and emotions were a treat. You have to love the ending with the goldfish. Read it. Produce it.

You have to love a play where there's a velociraptor in the zoo. And zebras read and hippos skate - slowly. This is one huge smile of a play. From the opening where Penny has a fishbowl on her head so - of course she is an astronaut - to the paper cowgirl hat - so of course she is a cowgirl - through the romp at the zoo. The play celebrates imagination and books without nary a preachy word. The play moves fast and young audiences (and their chaperones) will be delighted.

Edward is looking at his identical twin brother who is dying. Soon. Can the stakes get any higher? And his brother, Luke, is in a Spiderman costume complete with a superpower he wants to give his brother. The play works on every level - heartfelt without being sentimental, honest without being brutal and generous of spirit. Loss, letting go, forgiveness - such huge human conditions are handled with respect and love. I would love to see this in a festival. The audience will be richer for having met Edward and Luke.

I remember my first library card at age five, Wyndham brings alive the likely librarian who gave it to me. Do they have an agenda? Legos meet intellect meet pop culture in this play that may be every librarian’s nightmare and truism. Beautiful monologue for our American times.

A play that fully captures the pressures of teens (especially senior high school students) where everything depends on their grades and/or sports accomplishments. Female-centric, focusing on a basketball team, the play beautifully shows us their individual needs versus their collective needs. All of the five characters have something critical at stake. While the play focuses on Bobbie and her grief, we find that all of the characters have huge challenges as well as baggage and basketball could be the brass ring. Brutal realities are exposed. Poetic and raw, it’s a beauty for female actresses.

This is one smartly written play for young audiences. I love the whole lot of science with sprinkles of interstellar magic and sic fi combination. It made me want to perch myself in Strawberry, KS and watch the Perseids meteor shower. The relationship between Annie and her father - the complications, the silliness and then the poignancy - beautiful captured the delicate nature of a challenging relationship. All of the characters are rich and all a wee bit touched with magic and sweet madness. Would love to see this produced (Children's Theatre, Mpls, please?).

Cheeseburgers and brownies speak to ten-year old Anna in this sweet play that hits a lot of food-truisms without hammering a message. Anna is on track to be a chef until she discovers her Mom's magazines and photos of skinny, unsmiling women who are the "beauty norms of the day." Anna's relationship with food becomes complicated. This play is a charmer and addresses food and how we deal with it in a way that is accessible and humorous for young audiences. A perfect play for touring and discussions.

You have to love a play where the football players are the victims and the cheerleaders are their saviors. There's a lot of silliness combined with teen-speak, snarky dialogue that perfectly captures the teen spirit. I loved the constant element of surprise that awaited me with every page turn. Bublitz deftly steers away from the jock/mean girl stereotype that often peppers these plays and offers us some real teens: warts and all. The play is a wonderful tin-foil romp through the stars. Teen performers and young audiences will love this.

As we increasingly live in a world where truth and satire are blurred, Sapio offers up the perfect play for these times. Nothing is sacred. Families (and their values), the media (of course), privilege, education and even heritage are skewered in this rich, dark comedy. While the play is satiric in nature, we get welcome glimpses of the early realities of the characters that have brought them to the brink. The roles are rich and well-defined. I see a lot of healthy discussion generated through development and productions of this play.