Recommended by Steven G. Martin

"Lifting the Fog of War" is unlike any play I've read. Joe Swenson, a Marine Corps veteran, has brought an authentic setting of warfare and conflict to the stage. My pulse was pounding from the first beat because of the incidents, tension, characters and dialogue.

Another reason I love this play is that Swenson briefly shines a light on some of the attitudes surrounding the then-newly enacted "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Those attitudes seem to have created an uncomfortable atmosphere, and I finally understood just how dark it could be around the same time as Sgt. Blick.

John Busser has created a one-act comedy that is punny, silly and playful with this mash-up of "He-Man: Masters of the Universe" and "Fifty Shades of Grey." A lot of the fun comes from malapropisms, puns and more created through autocorrect tech. But there are more than enough characters and plotlines from both "He-Man" and "Fifty Shades" series to tickle an audience's funny bone.

This short play is part-relationship drama, part-wry "What If?" premise.

I like that Alexander Hehr juxtaposes the very focused, localized conflict of the Diana-Carmen relationship against the larger background of the epic, world-ending phenomena around them. Serious discussion between the women are broken up by the darkly comic interruptions from the Server.

This play is quirky and dark and a little sad. But it's uplifting, too, as self-worth shines, even if that light shines at the end of the world.

Yes the premise is gorgeous, allowing for both horror and humor. But what I most appreciate most in this one-act dark comedy is the journey taken by protagonists Arlo and Val.

Starting slightly bickering and slightly dissatisfied, the couple at the start of "For a Limited Time Only" turn very dark as conflicts grow deeper. And yet Daniel Prillaman provides them with a final turn that -- perhaps while not a happy ending -- sees them to a level of care that they had not shown before.

This play is emotionally richer because of Prillaman's skill.

This full-length drama stunned me. Mark Loewenstern spotlights the impact of Nellie Bly's daredevil journalism on the women cruelly treated at the asylum on Blackwell's Island. We see the impact on Anne Neville, a resident as the asylum before and after Bly's 10-day stay, as well as other residents and the staff.

Loewenstern storytelling is tremendous. Yes, there is realistic drama, but we feel through Anne's dreams how not only institutions but entire societies have attempted/are attempting to keep women docile and disenfranchised. We feel Anne is learning.

Truly a stunning script that will profoundly affect audiences when produced.

While the setting of "Boxing Day, 1835" provides rich detail and depth, the story that Monica Cross tells in this dramatic holiday play is timeless: Two siblings at odds with one another regarding the differences in their lives and their connections with family.

Cross has researched the historic setting, which influences the circumstances behind the Tam and Gabby's friction, the climax and resolution. Even the dialect and amount of time allotted to tell the story are affected by the setting. This is a well thought-out and executed script.

Bloody, funny, meta, gory, sexy, spoofy, self-aware fun.

I love that Michele D’Annunzio/Solomon Rosenberg, the protagonist in this monologue, is filled with absolute self-confidence and certainty. It's almost a harsh response to everything done to them from a cruel decision made by a selfish father to jeering responses made by an uncaring audience.

Larry Rinkel has created a highly detailed history and emotional journey for the character. I enjoyed a virtual reading of "L'Ultimo Castrato" in December 2021.

This short play ambles along nicely in one direction, then suddenly WHAM, everything changes: tone, action, story. Unforgettable, shocking, jaw-dropping.

I had the pleasure to read the stage directions aloud for a virtual reading of "The Comfort Zone" and still remember the shocked and awed laughs the moment that everything went askew. The laughter didn't stop until long after "End of Play."

I like this short dramatic play. What I like most is Emily McClain's empathy for both characters and their perspectives. Ellis and Solaire both make valid points about modern life, ambition, reaching beyond means, and office politics. McClain is clear-eyed and allows these characters to go back and forth, arguing but understanding one another. It's really nice character work in a play that I really like.