Recommended by Andrew Martineau

There is a moment early on in this beautifully heartfelt, exquisitely crafted short play in which Mom begs her teenage son to text her multiple times throughout the night after he tells her he is going to a party. That was the moment we can feel that this mother is not just being a helicopter parent; she is holding on for dear life. Then through a conversation with her oldest son, we slowly find out what this woman has been through, and we understand. What a gift for actors this is.

The loss of a sibling is like no other, especially when it is a shocking and devastating end. Joe Swenson takes a common activity between siblings and friends—creating imagery from cloud formations—and creates meaning out of the ephemeral memories of a sibling bond, in both viscerally sentimental and emotionally painful ways. Clouds, like ghosts, are fleeting and powerfully evocative. I love the poetic language and raw emotion in this. Bravo, Joe.

If anyone questions the value of a ten-minute play needs to read Christopher Soucy’s amazingly profound, thought-provoking brief drama about how love wins out over rash judgments that use blind ideology in highly destructive ways. What a gift this is for actors and audiences. Every line is rooted in urgent intention that ends beautifully. Well done, Chris.

What a beautifully clever and provocative play about how identity shapes us, especially when we think we have little or no control over how people’s perceptions of us shape our own happiness. The idea of a McDonald’s functioning as purgatory is true genius, and yet, H. Avery doesn’t fall into the stereotypical trappings of fast food being pure evil. The monologue about the perfect blending of McNugget sauces is fantastic. This is an eye-opening and profoundly moving piece of theatre.

Oh, the complexity of love and relationships that shift to something else a year after the divorce. The humor is sharp without sounding forced or fake, and the tension reveals how these two cared for each other despite their differences, including their contrasting taste buds. What a wonderful play for actors to play and for audiences to relish.

A bride having second thoughts about getting married on her wedding day is always a good plot line, even though originality can be hard to come by with so many stories out there on the subject. What I love about Reyna De Jesus’s brief play is that it is light and funny, much like those old movies with witty, emotional exchanges between the bride and her bestie before everything goes to hell. Ricky offers some great one liners, but the letter Melissa writes to the groom at the end puts the perfect cap on it. This is fun!

This is a sweet, surprising and deeply satisfying story about dust bunnies making an impactful connection, despite the frustrating randomness of their movement. I loved that the vacuum cleaner only comes out three times a year, and it’s nice to know that a dirty home benefits someone! So creative and theatrical!

This is a fascinating play about the need to follow orders in a military operation, even when the command seems questionable. The dialogue is sharp and the objective is focused and clear. Binz’s brief drama is captivating on the page and ready for an engaging performance and post-show discussion. Well done!

A true romance play needs a realistic obstacle, and what better obstacle can there be other than potential objections from parents about a suitor’s creative occupation? The ending is quite satisfying, even though I wanted this brief play to be longer. Charlotte and William are strong, sympathetic characters to root for. Nicely done!

This is everything a ten-minute should be: theatrical, witty and metaphorical. This fridge, for me, is a metaphor for the high cost of a relationship you feel comfortable with but are not sure is worth the emotional investment. Then you have the people on the outside of the relationship just making everything worse. I love the fridge’s affirmation that it can make it after all. Wonderfully inventive and heartwarming!