Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Scott Sickles takes the parody of presidential politics seriously, and this one-act is all the stronger because of it.

"The Presidential Chili Cook Off" is ripe with twists and turns, reversals and double-reversals, and all kind of ploys. Anything less would be a disservice to the characters and, frankly, the audience.

This is a script loaded with visuals, the cast is all-female, and Sickles enjoys puffing up the ego of these characters who believe their story will rock the world, before he deflates them mercilessly.

I greatly enjoyed a virtual reading of this play.

What did I just read?

This is a jaw-droppingly tasteless, lewd and funny one-page monologue. Viraj Shriwardhankar starts at such a high point with the first line of "A Man in Uniform" that I wasn't sure where the play could go from there.

Shriwardhankar went there and beyond. Now lift your jaw and consider how well-structured and well-written this play is. We get to enjoy an unusual character and -- we learn at the very end -- an unusual situation.

I love the situations Sharai Bohannon puts her characters into and "The Great Steven Stravinsky" is no exception. The combination magic show-birthday party offers so many opportunities to advance the plot, challenge the characters and charm the audience. Bohannon takes advantage of all of them in this heartwarming coming-of-age tale.

I recommend "Prefers Bright Indirect Light" for reading and production because Veronica Tjioe puts her characters through the emotional wringer. They experience everything from grief and despair, disillusionment and ennui to -- and this is where I found myself so very happy -- bright, genuine, mood-altering joy.

Nicely distinct characters, plenty of emotions and reverses, some existential themes, and a bit of joy? I really like this short comedy.

This one-minute play is a gift to the talented physical comediennes of the stage. I'd love to see a production.

Elisabeth Giffin Speckman has done beautiful work here -- providing a strong plot structure but giving the actor and director enough space to fill out the details as they like. "Mary Pickford First Breaks Her Silence" is visual, full of action and suspense, and has a wonderful, comic conclusion.

Fans of Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strip will love this fun and warm-hearted parody by DC Cathro. It is crystal clear that Cathro adores Schulz's work and holds it in high esteem.

Cathro creates characters outside the realm of the comic strip, but integral to the life and well-being of the characters inside it. That outsider perspective is a perfect comic foil to help an audience remember just how unusual and amazing Schulz's characters are.

"I'm Worried About Lucille" is terrific. Now read and produce it, you blockhead.

"Mister Freeman" is a terrific monologue. An older, Black, male actor would find a lot of emotions to play, the most important and impactful being pride and self-confidence.

Margo Rofé provides everything for an audience and an actor to understand Mister Freeman's life and philosophy, all through subtext and nuance. Rofé also provides Mister Freeman terrific action to make his point.

This would be a wonderful monologue to watch being performed.

I love the breadth of portraits that Heather Meyer has created in this 10-minute drama, made up of three monologues. The women are different ages and they battle different conflicts: against themselves/their bodies, against romantic partners, and against their social circle. The key takeaway: These women are fighters.

I especially enjoy the portrait of Woman 1. I admire her quiet perseverance even as I see her pain. Her portrait especially makes "Woman with a Bat" a strong candidate for an excellent production.

Adam Richter has created a devilishly funny short play that questions what is scarier: An ancient being destined to accompany people to the underworld upon their death or those nagging, self-inflicted pains we cause ourselves day-by-day.

Guess which wins.

"Colleen's Outer Demon" has funny dialogue, a treasure chest of characters, and plenty of action and plot points. I enjoyed a virtual reading of this script in 2021 and I'd really enjoy watching a production.

Get tissues ready; ears are going to bleed.

The dialogue that powers Abby Rose Morris's "hate play" is infantile, blistering, cruel, nasty and jaw-droppingly funny. These middle school students are a nightmare and a force of nature both. I especially liked Morris's subtle shift to bring an extra layer to their relationship.