Recommended by Steven G. Martin

The premise that John Minigan has created for this one-minute play is satiric enough on its own. Minigan raises the level of satire even higher with details like character and program names and dialogue that is brutal and funny and brutal again.

Audiences will smile in delight at Ellis Abigail Stump's short romantic comedy. Stump's writing leads an audience to make inferences, which are confirmed with the button. "1 2 Step [a snapshot]" is sweet, clear, and easily producible.

Rachel, the protagonist in "Call Me," is not a damsel in distress, a shrinking violet, a virago or a harpy. She is much more complex, which I appreciate in a short play.

Rachel is hurt, vengeful, mean-spirited, hopeful, funny, victorious, quick-witted. I'm not sure how I ultimately feel about her, which is meant as a compliment for Darryl Vinyard's writing.

This dramatic monologue overflows with remarkable language to convey Anna's thoughts and emotions and stunning images of her experience. It's a sensory-filled feast. Could Anna's experience have been made dark and harrowing? Yes, but Greg Vovos has written it to be transcendent and even heroic.

I love how Vovos uses the slightest, perhaps most thrown-away bit of dialogue to provide the most-necessary background information about Anna. It may take a moment or two to understand Anna's journey, but once it's understood everything flows together like tributaries into a river. Once you understand, read "Vast" again.

Asher Wyndham's monologue for an older female actor is a portrait of a worker who takes pride and care in her work, even though she may be overlooked or underappreciated.

Dora isn't only about flowers; Wyndham shows that all the reasons people go to the hospital -- and the joy, pain, grief, and exultation accompanying them -- filter through to Dora. Dora is all about the people she comes into contact with. She is a hero.

This is another winning monologue by Wyndham, who again shows the ability to create dimensional, emotional characters for the stage with a snapshot.

This one-minute play made me cry a little, sigh a little. I love that Scott Sickles shows that even the briefest respite from depression, grief, guilt ... anything negative that wears us down ... is to be savored. Even if it's a minute long. Even if we know the grind will return. "Signs of Life" will make audiences cry a little, sigh a little.

I love John Minigan's one-minute drama because the historical family dynamic is clear with only a few lines Alessandra's dialogue. I also love Alessandra's earnestness and openness.

Yet, this script seems to be less about what Alessandra says than when and, literally, how. She probably is at the height of her agency, but it's undercut because of when and how she communicates with her father. It made me feel for her and understand her inner conflicts.

"Bedside Manners" is subtle, layered, engaging drama told within 60 seconds.

I love this 10-minute mother-daughter drama. Nimisha Ladva generously gives both characters opportunities to shine, to show that they understand and respect one another more than an audience first suspects. Audiences will see and appreciate both women's similarities as much as their differences in "Laundry is Not Enough."

I love that this short sci-fi comedy shows how profoundly the effort to be creative impacts the creator. Geoffrey's character arc, while short, has several stages -- including a final wordless set of actions -- that ultimately made me smile.

"The Volitive Effect of Oral Literary Inundation on the LSTM Recurrent Neural Network" is neither anti-A.I. nor anti-technology, but instead pro-artistry and pro-creativity. I'm glad I read it and I'd love to see a production.

What I especially like about this play is how this play shifts from crime story to all-out horror so smoothly, so clearly. Monica Cross's "Braden the Burglar: A Cautionary Tale for Liars and Thieves" is a gem that'll give audiences the goosebumps.