Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Daniel Prillaman makes an audience want to know more in "Heartburn" even though we know shouldn't. But it's not just anticipation that drives this horror story. The mirrored dialogue at the climax and resolution still have me shuddering. A terrific, tense short play.

The situation in "Second Thoughts" is jarring, the revelations are cringe-inducing, and Robert J. LeBlanc's writing skill makes me feel more empathy for the person giving the advice than the person who needs. This is a very funny play that is just different enough to put an audience on edge.

"Familiar" is a memorable short play that beautifully establishes dramatic irony to reach an audience's emotions. I feel such strong empathy for Jon, the son, in this father-and-son play. The restraint he shows is necessary, but it doesn't make it any less painful. And because of Robert J. LeBlanc's skills, an audience will recognize and understand the choices for Jon's restraint in "Familiar."

Twists are passé when they're used to conclude a plot, full stop. But Scott Sickles creates a moment in this two-minute monologue that shines a light on character and lifts Gris's story to its next stage.

And it's no coincidence that gestalt plays a key theme in this play. It's not until the audience sees the entirety of Gris's character, when we recognize new depths of connection, that we can appreciate "The Geometry of You." Scott Sickles has written a wonderful dramatic monologue.

This is a divine comedy. Christopher Plumridge shows the imagined moment that comes before the iconic one. There's a lot of humor and audiences will laugh from the first moment all the way through to the end.

Jonte literally gives the Devil his due in this short play. It's a terrific character piece about the one force that affects the entire universe: change. I'd love to see the episodes behind Stan's changes because Jonte makes those moments so vivid in the re-telling of them in "Beelzebub, Lucifer & Satan Walk into a Church."

"Wintery" is another beautiful play by Sheila Cowley. She has filled with understated emotion and trusts the audience's empathy and intelligence. I love that Charlie and Mouse talk about nothing, but indirectly this play is about everything: Change and growth and reaching out for a connection when the entire world is distant.

An absolutely hilarious entry in Christopher Soucy's Pat the Exterminator series. As with all of this short plays, the key is Pat's cheerful and earnest efforts to solve problems and make people's lives better. He's a terrific character and Soucy puts him into the most unusual situations. The charm and genial humor are off the charts in "Wolfman Wants a Treat."

This Christmas play in the series of Pat the Exterminator adventures is charming and, frankly, heart-warming. I love the premise and the origin story as well as Pat's earnest interest in other people's lives ... in this case, the lives of children around the world.

As with all Pat the Exterminator stories, this play could be performed well by itself or in a longer evening of Christopher Soucy's series.

A new wrinkle to Christopher Soucy's Pat the Exterminator character, even though there are terrific callbacks found in other short plays, especially Pat's father's skill and knowledge, and Pat's genial, non-fussed behavior in horrific circumstances. "Pests" is darker and scarier than others in the series, but still terrific fun.