Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Dizzyingly, diabolically funny.

Only John Busser can satirize exactly-at-this-moment politics through a 1950s monster movie parody lens, getting laughs at the situation and characterizations as well as political allusions and references. And there are a lot of references; I'm sure I missed half of them during my initial read, and I am still laughing and gasping aloud.

"It Came From Beneath the Far Right" is brilliant. I will return to it often during this next cycle of political poppycock and balderdash. Thank you, John!

This is a love letter to those who create art, especially theatre.

K. Alexa Mavromatis and MJ Halberstadt have created a very funny character in Rostislav. There is such an over-the-top, near-ridiculous artistic temperament that it feels like a winking parody of a theatrical director.

But.

There's a shift in dialogue, in tone, in character that stops the action cold, that will sober an audience quickly. I love the comedy in "Right-Justified," but that moment, that shift is my favorite part of all. I hope this short play is produced again and again.

An audience will be tensed up from the first beat of this very dark drama to the final beat, exhausted when it's over.

Kerry Kazmierowicztrimm has filled this script with a grim atmosphere, tone and images; horrible, emotionally painful character backstories; and an unrelenting manipulation to reach the darkest conclusion.

I hope "Your Choice" will receive a robust list of productions.

Stunning premise. Brilliant execution. Intense story. Erin Moughon has written an unforgettable short drama that will leave audiences speechless.

I love how Colette Murphy adjusts the tone of this one-minute play from playful comedy to tender romance. Joan's and Henry's voices are clear especially when they change course and perspective: hers is slightly more strident, his is slightly more conciliatory. They balance well.

"On the Roof at Midnight" would be a delight to watch.

A.J. Ditty has written three fantastic, funny characters in this short comedy. They're all rich -- and there's an especially terrific monologue during which we see one of them completely unravel.

But for all the comedy in "All Things Considered, It Was Probably the Most Productive Meeting the Escondido Unified School District PTA Ever Had" -- and there is a lot, including the perfect title -- I most loved the Ditty's ending that places everything into a more somber context.

This is a terrific play for contemporary times.

This one-act drama is a finely written expansion of the lives of Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway a year after the ending of "The Great Gatsby."

Emily McClain grounds her play in the characters Fitzgerald created -- self-centered, charming New Yorker Jordan and milquetoast, humble Midwesterner Nick -- with those traits being the keys to this story of being seen, of living versus hibernating, of facades and messy lives.

McClain writes so well that readers and audiences will feel strongly they know how the characters will live after the curtain goes down. It's a beautifully realized story.

"Space Laser, In Space!" is a lovely, layered, hilarious, thought-provoking short play. Jillian Blevins begins with a sci-fi premise that mocks anti-Semitic rhetoric, echoes "Dr. Strangelove; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," examines cultural gatekeeping about what it means to be Jewish, and leaves an audience with an ending that feels remarkably like "The Lady or the Tiger?"

There is a lot packed into this short play, and it's wonderful. Audiences will discuss "Space Laser, In Space!" long after a performance ends.

This short play is genuinely chilling.

Ashley Lauren Rogers pulls in the audience will the initial comic overtones -- a possibly drunken actor doing line work, a frustrated director, an at-risk performance. But then Rogers leaves the slightest trail of details and an audience will put them together to figure out not only what happened, but how and why. And it's all understated.

"How to Get Away with the Mystery of Edwin Drood" is chilling. Funny, yet chilling.

I came to "The [C]Han[n]uk[k]a[h] Play" for its title and stayed for the kink appreciation. Lipschutz has written a laugh-out-loud holiday comedy about families that audiences will love. Fun, brisk, "Did-I-Hear-What-I-Thought-I-Heard" comic joy.