Recommended by Debbie Lamedman

I love this play! Bullying is not an easy topic to tackle since many of those plays can come off as some type of public service announcement. This play is sweet and genuine though it packs a punch with its very powerful message. The two characters are fully-realized and the audience gets to witness the sensitive moment they share. Additionally, the humor interspersed throughout made me laugh out loud and helps to alleviate the tension we might feel. I highly recommend any high schools or middle schools looking to generate discussion on this topic produce this play!

This short piece made my heart light! I have not yet read the two other companion pieces, but this definitely stands on its own. The three characters reminded me of my 20s, (though I didn't have to deal with a pandemic) and I always give kudos to a writer who can evoke those emotions. The dialogue is authentic, the relationships are clear and lovely, and the entire piece made me feel hopeful! Nice work, Hayley St. James! I look forward to reading the other two pieces that include these characters.

This is such a beautiful piece that effortlessly flows through time shifts and family dynamics. It amplifies so clearly the current state we are living in and comparatively shows that we humans have been here before, dealing with the difficult hand life can deal us, and finding a way through adversity with love and support. It is such a wonderfully theatrical piece written specifically for a virtual platform. Easy to produce, and with the right actors, this 10-minute piece will take the audience on quite a journey! Loved it!

A familiar story told in a completely unique and creative way. Floyd-Priskorn makes the audience work a little bit for the payoff here, but it is totally worth it. Relatable for anyone who has had to deal with an aging parent in this age of ever-changing technology. This is a terrific and strong strong piece for Zoom audiences!

FINALLY! We need this play about menopause so badly. There are many of you out there who are exactly like the characters in Jennifer O'Grady's play. Who slink away at the mere mention of the word. Young women who find it "disgusting," though they will be facing it soon enough. Why is there such a stigma? O'Grady takes this unpopular subject matter and turns it on its head. Here we have a funny and relateable piece that can also edify those who wish to learn more. This should be required reading for all males and teens! Thank you, Jennifer O'Grady!

This piece had me laughing out loud! I chose to read it based on the title since that is where I currently live. I'm not usually a fan of stereotypes, but in this case, they were apropos and created a lot of the humor in the play. The familiar push and pull between mother and daughter is a universal theme and the fact that Kayla's friends could like and appreciate Gladys more than Kayla herself, is a strong lesson in learning to respect one's mother! Great piece!

If you have ever had anything to do with high school theatre, this play is a must-read, must-see! Sara Jean Accuardi is pitch-perfect at capturing the before, during, and opening night antics of a high school production of "The Importance of Being Ernest." The dialogue is spot-on and you definitely feel like a fly on the wall in the green room. The "interruptions" allow us to hear the true thoughts going through the minds of these teens, and is a wonderful device for allowing us to get to know these characters. Every high school should produce this play! Wonderful work!

I love the ambiguity of this play and my mind reels at all the things that could be going on with these characters.This is the type of play that gets audiences humming after seeing it; exchanging theories about who these people really are, and what their backstory might be. I was always on alert throughout my reading of it, fearing something evil was about to happen. You're left with that feeling, long after the play is over. Eerie, thought-provoking, and evocative!

This beautiful two-hander captured my attention immediately. John Mabey has captured the sense of the ephemeral here, which is not an easy thing to do in writing. The feelings this play evokes are both bittersweet and familiar. Yearning and longing. We are witnesses to a moment between these two characters that is gone in an instant. As this year's editor for Smith & Kraus' Best 10-Minute Plays 2021 Anthology, I knew this short piece needed to be included.