Recommended by Steven G. Martin

I watched Carnes' "Brothers" during the live, online broadcast of the U.S. edition of the 2019 Gi60 International 1-Minute Theatre Festival.

Carnes has crafted a lovely, direct memorial to David and Cecil Rosenthal. May it encourage others to learn more about them, their service, and their community spirit.

I watched Weaver's "The Skunk" during the live, online broadcast of the U.S. edition of the 2019 Gi60 International 1-Minute Theatre Festival.

There isn't a word of dialogue to refer to the reality of the situation, but the tension and stakes are immediately clear. Weaver trusts the audience to get it, and the suspense is ratcheted up because of it.

This one-woman, one-act monologue is a kaleidoscope of the best kind.

Imogen loves love. But with just the slightest lines of dialogue, our perspective of her changes a degree or three: how she's lost love, expresses love, has found and celebrates all kinds of love -- love of home, love of independence, romantic love, familial love.

Partain has created a marvelous portrait.

Eli entirely succeeds with "Tiny Daggers." This sharp satire plays on assumptions based on race or gender like the "streetwise African-American," the "demure Asian-American," and the "sexy, seductive women falling over themselves for a man." Microaggressions cut, and these characters cut back.

Dendinger has written a play that is difficult to read and I imagine more difficult to watch. But in things that are difficult, there can still be insight.

Do I like Laurel, the main character, or have sympathy for her? No. Could I forgive her for the pain she has brought others for the sake of being evocative? No. But Dendinger's play allows insight into this character whose world view is evolving. I understand Laurel better, and sometimes empathy is enough.

Striving to be useful, searching for purpose, hoping for recognition, understanding the end will come. Through O'Neill's skill, audience members will empathize with and see themselves reflected in two robots surveying a small, red planet.

Some people can be strong after their lives have been touched by tragedy. Some can't. Vovos' short drama "Chuck's Mom" shows us an angry, sad, mourning woman. We think we know where the story is going, but Vovos' skill at storytelling and his humane empathy leads us places we never expected to go, but feel right in the end.

"Chuck's Mom" and Vovos' "How to Be a Respectable Junkie" are companion pieces. Alone, they are formidable theatre. Together, they are unforgettable and they leave their mark. Produce them.

I enjoyed two productions of "Playdate," both of which audiences adored. Haan creates fully fledged characters that comic actors will love to portray. There's plenty of action and an ending that will leave the audience laughing out loud.

Vovos presents Absurdity as Romance in "Bloody Mary." As with a lot of good absurd plays, Vovos creates a feeling of something nightmarish just under the facade of polite, everyday life: people in dire need are ignored, little old ladies are mean, and the letter of the law is preposterously upheld.

Even the romance between Mary and Joe is harrowing and bloody, but there's genuine sweetness and connection, too. Give credit to Vovos for making the audience cheer for this pair even as the world goes awry.

Within the first three lines of dialogue, Carnes escalates the tension and stakes to the max. This short play is unsettling. This short play is nerve-wracking.