Recommended by Steven G. Martin

"Riddles" is a terrific thriller.

Kendall's script serves up ice-cold revenge: an unknown sadist forces his enemies to confess their crimes, humiliating themselves in front of strangers before they are killed. Lots of twists and turns in identity and power add to the fun.

"Riddles" has strong dialogue, visuals, and actions that will appeal to actors, designers, and directors. Audiences will enjoy it, too.

Instantly, an audience knows something is going to break during Burdick's play -- the strain is too high and has lasted too long. The question is what further destruction will the shards cause?

"The Fly" would be great fun for a physically gifted actor or actress -- not just because of the action involved, but also because facial expressions would be so important. I think Sytsma's comedy would be equally effective in a theater or as a site-specific performance.

Some anti-Christmas Christmas plays are merely snide or sarcastic. This is not one of them. Ashley Lauren Rogers has written a dark-as-the-inside-of-a-closed-coffin comedy.

A naïve elf. A diabolical brat. An unbreakable promise. What could possibly go right? Rogers makes sure it all goes horribly wrong by the sixth line.

Busser's short comedy is a brilliant spoof of police interrogations and their twists and turns (ding), it's a live-action primer of improvisational comedy and its foundations (ding), and it's a rollicking comedy that will leave audiences in stitches.

"Annnd Scene (of the Crime)" is fast-paced and hilarious, and directors and comic actors will love it as much as audiences. A special shout-out to the nod to David Ives at the end; it's the perfect conclusion.

May 2022: Audiences at MadLab Theatre Roulette howled themselves hoarse with laughter throughout this brilliant comedy, and rightfully so. It was the event's standout production.

In the 1980s, self-identifying as gay had wide-ranging, societal and familial, consequences.

In fewer than 20 pages, Rose strongly and subtly defines two characters who are similar, yet completely at odds. One seeks privacy, the other wants to hear validation of who he is. One is uncertain how others will see him, the other doesn't give a damn. Reading "Interview with Freddie Mercury" is like seeing two sides of the same coin, with a couple decades of life experience joining the two.

I respect how Gordon's immersive drama subtly touches on important details.

First, larger conversations need to be held about the effects of mental illness and homelessness, but they need to include those who are affected so they have a voice. Notably, the other characters exclude Paul until the final moments of the play.

Second, larger conversations do nothing to address immediate needs, like hunger. "Will Somebody Give Me a Sandwich?" is about immediate needs. Paul is a person, not a symbol for all social concerns. Well done, Gordon, for focusing on the person.

Shannon Murdoch knows how exquisite people become when they're impatient. Layla and Franklin are impatient throughout "Everything in Between," and that need to have what they want right now, right there allows the audience to see clearly what those needs are and how they came to be.

Murdoch uses physical action, staging, and flashback very well to tell Layla and Franklin's story, too. This is a really nice play.

Give me a monologue about sirloin, pork, and white cheddar any day, especially if it's written by Chad Eschman.

Eschman tells the truth in this short comedy: the funniest infidelity is the dietary kind. Jerry and Dino are on their last nerves at the start of the play, and the action and conflict only spiral faster and faster. These are extreme characters and fun, frantic dialogue that actors and audiences alike will enjoy on stage.

Chisholm shows the need for storytelling and oral history in "A'nat Dittni," which feels very much like a folktale. It's also the story of loss and the connections that sometimes deepen when we recognize loss will soon be upon us.