Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Kara Emily Krantz beautifully structures this short dramatic monologue so the audience knows threads of truth throughout: the protagonist's joy of being home alone and the love for a younger sibling, and the harsh words shared between siblings.

Those threads aren't connected until the final beat. Audiences may feel unsure about the complete story until then, but the final beat locks everything in place through implication. And fully understanding the story will cause gasps and make tears flow.

"For Mommy on Her Return Home: a monologue" is excellent storytelling.

In this one-act play about two pigs, Taylor Sklenar shows what it means to be human.

How existence can seem finite and trivial. How we change as we age. How we're different when there's someone in our life who cares about us instead of being completely alone. How we can give in, or (ultimately) refuse to.

Sklenar doesn't flinch in "500/501," either. This isn't philosophy for these characters. Life isn't like a slaughterhouse for these characters, it genuinely is. And because the audience understands that at once, this play impacts us even more. Produce this.

I like how Cary Simowitz fills this 10-minute drama with complexity: of white privilege and the realization of the effects of that privilege, of economic and social discrepancies and how those discrepancies affect relationships, of the awkwardness of facing these subjects and their devious impact.

"The Bee That Declared a War" will be an uncomfortable play for audiences, for white, affluent audiences especially. It is also a play that deserves a rich production history.

I love that DC Cathro and Leo Schwartz show how two people can be right for one another for a certain period of time, for a set of specific circumstances. And it's ok to love and cherish that person for that time, and then move forward. There's plenty of comedy, toe-tapping music, some sexiness, and emotion to enjoy.

I love how Dominica Plummer examines the current situation in the U.K. created by Brexit, the covid pandemic, and conservative leadership. She then expands upon it and extrapolates it for great satiric effect. I hope Dominica will have future episodes of Sophy's adventures in this strange land.

This is a big-hearted, warm short play is about brotherhood, about acknowledging the sometimes rough parts of the past and paying tribute to it. I enjoy its affirmations, its positivity.

This short two-hander is hilarious, dark, quotable and memorable.

Credit John Busser for setting up an everyday conflict -- parent versus principal as they argue about children's science fair projects -- and twisting it hard. And often. To unbelievably dark, grotesque comic heights. Even better, an audience can understand both points of view, especially the world-weary principal's.

I saw a virtual performance of "Stiff Competition" during the Two-Hander Slam in October 2021, and it was jaw-droppingly great. I'd love to see a live production.

John Connon packs so much into this short comic piece. It's a laugh-out-loud joy to read.

First, "Ambush!" has many power plays, reversals of fortune and action moments. Second, the antagonist is a gleefully over-the-top, megalomaniacal pop culture vulture who refuses to be powerless. Third, it's visually interesting with its scary opening, the use of multimedia, and the end results of a hot-wax session. Finally, there's the theme of self-empowerment, which Connon highlights.

It's easy to tell why this play has been produced several times, including the Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival. I hope it's produced more.

Rom Watson puts the terrific comic duo of Mead and Stu through their paces in this short play. Logic takes hairpin turns as the dialogue shifts from sexuality to the stupidity of penguins to the ubiquitous presence of spectrums and more. I can imagine actors energetically building off one another's dialogue, bantering all the way. The play is capped with Stu and Mead learning a little about themselves, too.

"Mead and Stu Talk About Penguins" may have characters who are a little dim, but they're also caring people who don't pass judgement. It's a sweet story.

This one-act comedy is smartly planned and executed. Credit Bill Arnold for choosing one of the 20th century's most recognizable events as the setting of this farcical satire (or satirical farce). Because audiences will know the story of the "Titanic," they'll be all-in on the humor immediately, and they'll quickly see Arnold's more serious points about false logic, poor leadership, nationalism, and idle fads in the face of disaster.

Four excellent parts for actors, the setting, the visuals, and ridiculous dialogue keep "Deckchairs" buoyant, even as the characters' blinders doom them.