Recommended by Steven G. Martin

The details in Nick Malakhow's script -- found in actions and reactions, dialogue, mindsets, personal histories and the world around the characters -- are rich and deep. They make the characters and their strengths and their flaws real, and they will make the audience appreciate even more that they connect. Because it would be so easy for them not to connect; it's heartening that they do. Malakhow has written a fine short romantic drama.

John Bavoso's short comedy has a strong concept and even stronger execution. He shows a real affection for Tiffany, whose existence is thrown into turmoil before she ever has much of a chance to live her life. There are plenty of laughs, but the best part is the depth Bavoso brings -- we control our lives, we don't exist solely to serve as a function of someone else's life.

I love plays that bring an essential truth to the stage, like Jeremy Kareken's "80 Cards." Theatre is ephemeral, life is short, and things are funnier when they happen to someone else. Audiences can enjoy the play on several levels: the metatheatrical foundation, the dialogue that provides insight into several things -- I know more about Bavaria now -- except Martin's thoughts on the situation. And some audience members may extrapolate the play's action onto their own lives, wondering how many cards remain in their own deck. This is a wonderful script.

Lee Lawing's insights into love, writing, silence and loneliness flow like water in this monologue. They quench the audience and his character, 50-something Fredricka Barnes. Lawing has insights into loss, too, and regrets as well as coming to terms with those regrets and that loss. Barnes is a marvelous character, certain about many things as a woman that she had been uncertain about as a teenager. That knowledge is worth everything. This is a lovely script.

Ryan Bultrowicz presents Absurdity as Nightmare in this dark one-act comedy. A mundane scenario -- an onion is discovered on a kitchen table -- spins into the macabre as three roommates "what if" themselves into believing the onion has a malevolent personality and an agenda. Kudos to Bultrowicz for pushing the action and stakes from real to spooky, and, finally, for not explaining away the mystery.

Finley's 11:50 is bittersweet, romantic, ironic, theatrical and leaves audiences with more questions than answers about the characters and their relationships. A well-constructed, emotional script.

Selfish, illicit lovers. Ice-cold bon mots. Murder plots even Rube Goldberg would find labyrinthine. Vocabulary that rises to dizzying heights of sophistication. A 4-year-old boy played by a life-sized doll. And a bunch of bananas. Finley's short farcical mystery/suspense script offers so many gifts for audiences and performers alike.

This comedic short script nicely tweaks the drama that comes when relationships turn more serious, and expectations of absolute honesty are made. Kirk Shimano plays up some of the silliness -- an X-ray makes for a funny and unusual prop and plot point -- but he also understands that such honesty can be painful. We feel for Paul regarding his past relationships, and we hope Billy makes good on his claims. Well-written, especially the ending action and reaction.

Alex and Trip, two men in their 20's and 30's, show genuine camaraderie and affection for one another in Blaisdell's Act with 14 Words. She skillfully shows that these are intimate, private moments that both men enjoy -- their actions are that well defined.

But with fourteen words, Blaisdell turns everything on its head, and the audience realizes we didn't know what we we thought we did. Questions abound and concerns arise for these men and their relationship. Well done.

What isn't said is what matters in Nina Ki's short drama I Love You. Dad can't bring himself to say "I love you" to Charles, his son, but Ki's writing provides hints that there is a lot more that Dad is unable to say. How much has the cycle of "Be a man, be tough, don't let your feelings show" damaged the males in that family tree, and how much has Dad lost? But Ki provides a final straw of hope for Charles. Emotional, restrained and heartbreaking.