Recommended by Andrew Martineau

I love the economy of words Lee uses to say so much. This really brought me back to childhood infatuations and catching fireflies—although we called them lightening bugs down south. My favorite phrase in this is “dressed in chinos before there were chinos.” Wonderful monologue!

It’s fascinating to see how two people with different perspectives and personalities view movie plots, which shows how subjective it all is. What is so clever about Halpern’s premise is the idea that creativity thrives on chance and experimentation. I love the thought of lotto balls as idea generators. A fun play!

This is a wonderfully original concept with strong conflict and a fantastically satisfying ending. Stephanie Hunt made me question my own assumptions about how to deal with paranoia and how to help a loved one get past their seemingly delusional thinking. What is truly touching about this play is the way in which a brother reaches out and shows compassion and love. And who can resist a play with floating foam peanuts?

The eloquence and emotion in this monologue is so strong and powerful. The mind numbing hypocrisy of this mayor and other likeminded politicians is fully exposed by Elliot, so let’s hope Sam Heyman’s beautifully written speech will stop these bills from going through, once and for all.

The visual imagery that takes place in our imagination while listening to Vincent's recollection of his daughter's dream makes this short play phenomenally engrossing--a virtual Jumanji-esque dream explosion!
Cook's play grows in intensity as we realize that this is essentially about a father's fierce drive to protect his daughter, and yet his daughter is far ahead of him on the psychological dream landscape. Amazing ending!

Angela has to put food on the table here, both at work and at home, and it is a game of survival for her, while Derek’s future is at stake concerning college. It’s rough for both of them, and painfully real considering today’s precarious economy and the fears of wage earners when pitted against corporate greed. McLindon has written a gripping short play with both tension and suspense. Nice work!

Real life parent/teacher nights can be truly stressful for teachers. Of course, there are many parents out there who want the best academically for their kids. What is fulfilling about Francis Boyle's monologue from a teacher's perspective is the interior monologue that goes on in a teacher's head brought to full dramatic life. This would be a great piece for a play festival about educational issues because it's not didactic at all. It hits many nerves for today's educators, to be sure, and that's a good thing!

As a teacher who has had to do lockdown drills, I appreciated this monologue so much. As Mr. Rogers once wisely told the kids to look for “the helpers,” Francis Boyle gives us a teacher who reassures his students while still acknowledging the gravity of the situation. It’s both dramatic and authentic. I loved this!

You just never know who is going to show up at a relative's wake, but Lee Lawing blends comedy with horror so well, and not like oil and water, which supposedly sums up Mina and V's toxic relationship. I almost feel a little sorry for V. here, especially considering what is at "stake" in his final moments. Blood suckingly good!

Just as Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine showed us how brilliantly funny words can be if you play around with them, Chris Plumridge takes playwriting structure to the same comic level, and adds a little Pirandello in the mix! Just when I thought it couldn’t get any funnier, he had to add in a little Al Green! Amazing!