Recommended by Andrew Martineau

Squabbling neighbors and accusations about peeping through windows with a high-powered telescope make for a fun plot with unexpected twists and turns. Add in a jewelry store robbery and you have quite a funny play with colorful characters and a satisfying resolution. A very good play for a ten-minute play festival!

It’s those small acts of kindness that make all the difference. Millie will probably never get any recognition for pointing out the caramel candies that have a similar taste to Bit ‘o Honey, but she did a good deed. This short play is perfect for actors to discover their intentions and find authentic moments. Its power lies in its simplicity. Well done!

I really, really love this! Vivian Lermond makes us realize that a martini lunch can easily turn into a dumpster dive with a bad economy. But these two still have each other, and there’s nothing like a lottery ticket (no matter how small) to boost morale in a hopeless situation. Wonderfully inspiring!

This is hysterical! With its Monty Pythonesque absurdity and off-beat, dark humor, I found myself rooting for Charlie as he cleverly attempts to outmaneuver his greedy neighbors even before keeling over in their yard. I would love to see this in action!

“The Promise” is raw and unsettling. It’s also very well-written and thought-provoking. As someone who has worked with those who have intellectual disabilities, I am aware that there are vulnerable people who have been taken advantage of, and it is truly heartbreaking. Marilyn Ollet’s play opens the door for honest discourse on this topic. It’s quite a powerful piece and deserves to be seen and discussed.

Oh, I really felt something reading this, having gone through a similar experience not so long ago (without the brilliant theatricality, of course). I would love to see this onstage, and I can only imagine how incredibly moving it would come off the page for the actors and the audience alike. I love Glenn Alterman’s gift for writing moving, gut-wrenching dramas.

At such a perilous time of political polarization post #Metoo, Scott Sickles has crafted a fascinating look at a birth after an assault. He skillfully plays with the idea of cusps and the liminal moments in which change is possible in seemingly impossible circumstances. Actors can learn so much about playing their characters truly in the moment by working on this incredibly thought-provoking short play. Illuminating and provocative piece.

It’s so interesting how grieving brothers can talk about essentially everything but their pain, and Kim E. Ruyle has expertly built in subtext that reveals true love, loss and regret. The ending shows the bonds these men have, even with the crude Pulp Fiction references. Beautifully subtle, and a gift for young actors to sink all of their emotion into.

As I have thought about some of senseless shootings in recent weeks, my mind keeps asking how we might stop the desensitization of murder that we hear or read about. Joe Swenson’s beautifully provocative and eloquent play could well be the answer. We need more backstory, and we need to experience stories like this together. That is the power of theatre and bold playwriting. Bravo and thank you.

I love how the fireworks in this play represent a celebratory mood by someone who knows when to cut ties, and also how they explode to parallel her feelings of resentment for her coworkers’ complacency. Ross Tedford Kendall builds the suspense gradually up to the big reveal and the last fireworks finale. Smartly written with a very satisfying conclusion.