Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Philip Middleton Williams has written a painful, truthful situation for two characters to be played by older actors.

What I love about "A Moment of Clarity" is what isn't said. Clyde and Dan enjoy a moment of time and make the most of it, but they want more than just one -- who wouldn't? And they can't, and they know there may be fewer of them. And that hurts.

This 10-minute play is a clear-eyed, unsentimental view of early American history as lived by three Black women.

All three women of "Partner Of --" have strong points of view, but it's 14-year-old Sally Hemmings' transformation that struck me. Hemmings starts as a wide-eyed child excited about traveling to Paris, but loses her innocence as she becomes aware of what is expected of her during the visit and beyond.

Rachael Carnes' short play more than deserves the many productions it has received. I hope it will continue to be produced even more and across continents.

Funny, cringe-worthy, intelligent, pointed. "Temporal Physiques" will appeal to a wide variety of audiences for a wide variety of reasons.

The structure lends so much to the humor, as the story moves from somber scientific press conference to over-the-top, loud infomercial. And the characters join right in, reveling in the latter. ("THAT'S SCIENCE, BITCHES!") John Busser also includes several visuals that build the world and provide plenty of gags.

And I love the deep-down, pointed take on science: all other benefits be damned ... what matters to people is sex and being sexy.

"Temporal Physiques" hits its targets.

This 1-minute play is sweet, yet also a little sad. It's a fun premise, a sterile, DMV-like waiting room of imaginary friends ready to enter the world, and Dana Hall executes the premise very well. It just left me a little sad, the thought of part of our imagination being ended for any reason.

I look forward to watching a performance of this (for me) bittersweet play during the 17th annual Gi60 US festival in October 2021.

"The Talk" is an excellent example of what makes a 1-minute play a 1-minute play: that time limitation makes Father's reluctance to speak that much more pressurized.

Oh this is so very much a genuine love letter to theatre and the people who create it and find pleasure/comfort/joy within it.

Vivian Lermond's language is anthem-like in its visuals, its rhythm. I look forward to the performance of "Theatre Is ..." during the 17th annual Gi60 U.S. Festival in October 2021.

A dash of physical comedy, characterization, more than a little lunacy all within a single minute.

Matthew Weaver is a magical storyteller -- able to get a complete story filled with conflict, power struggles, a climax ... and again, that taste of lunacy that will make an audience sit up and take notice. An actor would love this role, an audience will love this play.

I look forward to its performance in the 17th annual Gi60 U.S. Festival in October 2021.

Jennifer O'Grady absolutely trusts her audience's intelligence. With nary a word about the given circumstances, she conjures strong feelings of the world of the play and makes us wonder about our own world. And all through the guise of a monologue for a talking cat!

Funny, a little dark, and thought provoking -- especially the unanswerable final line that O'Grady has constructed as the topper. I can't want to watch the performance in the 17th annual Gi60 U.S. festival in October 2021.

A very dark, very funny monologue that flits across propriety like a dragonfly skimming over water. But Sean Keeley pulls the audience below that calm, water-like propriety to show darker -- and still funny -- depths.

"The Dilemma" is an enjoyable, sharp, biting short monologue. It's fun to read aloud, no doubt would be fun to act, and it would be easy to produce.

The logic of the mind versus the chaos of the heart. This is an ultimately sweet story about saying "yes" when the possibility of love appears.

"Inevitable" isn't cloyingly cute or syrupy, however. Bethany Dickens Assaf punctuates the story with very funny dialogue and visuals on the path to the ultimately sweet "yes": waffles, porn, cocaine, and evil presence of clueless Rob.

This is a story many will understand, the characters' pitfalls and challenges lead to great visuals and dialogue, and the feel-good ending will make audiences smile. I hope its production history will grow even more robust.