Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Pat the Exterminator is a terrific creation: Earnest, direct, and not in the slightest discombobulated being in the presence of a descendant of the Old Gods. There's something wholesome in how he wants everyone, even a descendant of the Old Gods, to live their best life.

I recommend this play because Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend has written married-for-nearly-half-a-century chemistry between Claire and Brian. Backstory, bantering, sympathy, insults .. all of it is here. Plus some somber emotion and a dash of darkness.

I think seasoned actors will love these roles and audience will love the characters.

Funny, because the zealotry in this monologue is over the top ("Groomer pedophile socialist!"). Scary, because the zealotry in this monologue is over the top. And because, despite how over the top she is, Bonnie Bunion may have won.

"Bonnie Bunion" is another excellent monologue by Asher Wyndham.

A beautiful, brief monologue about the appreciation for all that has come before when all is about to end.

A terrific comic fable that will delight audiences and make them ponder if human history is led by free will, fate, or a group of kittens from Norse mythology. Inspired silliness from Melissa Schmitz!

As funny as some of its moments are, and the pantomime is quite funny, "Don't Touch the Carrot Cake" is pretty dark. Cruelty and humiliation are both free flowing in Emily McClain's short, satirical play. But there also is a fitting, sweet comeuppance that audiences will love.

This is terrific maximalist theatre. Blevins has incorporated mythology, amphibian biology, the Christian nativity story, and a sinking feeling humans are not long for this world with lots of action, lots of visuals, a blend of genres, and the worst Christmas song ever.

"TOADS!!! (an amphibious nativity play)" is literally unforgettable.

Heinrich Lyle's short comedy is ridiculous in the best sense of the word. The setting is sublime and the duo of Barney and Lou are marvelous: They are clowns with delusions of grandeur and a logic that is malleable and cringeworthy, changing moment by moment. I'm rooting for them -- good storytelling can come from anywhere, and I think both need a win in their lives -- but I'd love for them to take a writing class. "Plot Point" is VERY funny stuff.

This is a sharp, painful critique. An audience will be speechless after this monologue/PSA.

Avery Arnold beautifully dramatizes the moment when Kathy -- a mother whose grief is filled with questions, guilt, and rage -- decides to change her life and "do better." The dialogue is emotional and allows an audience to intuit the history, and the ending action is so satisfying. I'd love to see "Green Bean Casseroles" performed.