Recommended by Steven G. Martin

I love the atmosphere that Nora Louise Syran creates in this very short play. Christmas season, indoors, a loving empty-nest couple working side-by-side in a kitchen - it feels cozy, which is different to the action outside.

"A Perdrix in a Pear Tree" isn't driven by conflict. Instead, enjoy the setting it inhabits the the atmosphere imbued within it.

This mother-daughter comedy brought a smile to my face, especially with the reversals of maturity level and superiority. I especially like that teenaged Shawna really wants her mother, Toni, to enjoy enjoy the date and maybe find someone nice to be part of her life. Also, this is a funny play that showcase's DC Cathro's skill with dialogue.

Kevin King has written a terrific character for a comic performer: a smart, wise, affirming, genial fortune teller who feels, perhaps, a bit superior to the clientele. Perhaps a bit dark and opportunistic, too. It's a great spectrum of moods.

This short comic monologue ends on a nice comic beat that highlights part of the superior attitude. It's a terrific laugh line. But i love how kind the fortune teller comes across in regard to life philosophy, living life, and going forth into the world. It's so positive.

I hope "I've Seen the Future, Baby" develops a long production history.

There's lots of silly fun in Marcia Eppich-Harris's short wish-fulfillment comedy. I love that chaos spins out of control after the first shoe drops. I also enjoy that there are a few undertones to family support about identity and U.S. immigration.

Best of all, though, is that all the characters have their moment to shine, but I especially enjoy the antagonistic younger sibling, Taylor, who is just vicious enough and more than smart enough to question "What the hell?" like the audience might at first.

This is a very fun comedy. I hope to see a performance soon.

This is such an unexpected one-act play. First, Monica Cross uses folk tale/fantasy to explore emotions that feel very contemporary: disappointment, denial, family tensions about acceptance.

Second, Cross's language and use of verse makes those contemporary crises feel eternal and ever-present. It's very exact language -- follow the line breaks! -- and it seems very storybook-like.

It's a strange tension: contemporary, yet not, old-time, yet not. All of that added to a touching parent-child conflict.

I'm jealous of Min Kahng's ability to create so many tones in this one-minute play including mistrust, comedy and social commentary. It would be terrific to see "Homeless Fairy Godmother" in a 1-minute play festival.

Sam Heyman's ability to create multidimensional characters in a brief amount of time is one of his strengths. Even better, Sam shows us moments that test and then prove the strength of the relationships between characters. Nadia and Caleb are going to be just fine despite the concerns they express at the beginning of "Rotten."

I appreciate that Heyman dramatizes some of the aggressions LGBTQIA people face. I also have a better grasp of Yaoi and the different ways different audiences view it. And Nadia's perspective on "rotten" is beautiful.

"Rotten" would be especially terrific for high school actors.

I enjoyed a virtual reading of "The Closet Door" that really highlighted Sam Heyman's abilities in character work. Chip, Brett and Jessica are more than a single dimension because Heyman imbues them with strength (Chip), vulnerability (Brett) and enthusiastic hyperactivity (Jessica) to address the play's central conflict.

"The Closet Door" shows these characters at a tipping point in their lives and there will be consequences -- both positive and negative. I don't know if Heyman has plans for this trio, but he has given them a future in the world of this play.

A play of theatrical magic. Nick Nappo artfully shows two perspectives of Bill and Paula in this short play and those views are complementary. I love to see their genuine, youthful passion for one another upon first meeting and coupling, juxtaposed against the worn-down married couple they have become who are taking a road trip.

I love the theme of rediscovery in "American Paramours" and that Nappo allows the audience to discovery both sides of Bill and Paula in just a scant 10 minutes.

Terrific characters, dialogue and theatrical magic. I hope "American Paramours" is produced often.

The more of this monologue I read, the more i rooted for Brent. Nick Nappo showcases a terrific, comic man-versus-self struggle in "The Speedologue." At its core is the conflicted Brent, who is both confidenct and insecure. That combination genuinely led me to want the best for him.

I love that Nappo places Brent's dilemma in the present time, that he has no idea what the implications for his decision are going to be. That makes the climax even more powerful, the not-yet-exactly-knowing feeling that the audience and Brent both will feel.

I hope 'The Speedologue" is produced often.