Recommended by Andrew Martineau

The exploration of a first kiss on a beach is never awkward, shameful, or part of a conscious act of curiosity on the the part of the boy. Whatever it may be, Weaver takes the audience on a seemingly spiritual ride of sensuous human connection. Whether a dream or real, it feels as though this boy will never be the same after the experience. Beautiful and truly evocative in the best sense of the word.

I was intrigued by the title and thought, why NOT set HAMLET in Antarctica? By the time I got to the penguins and someone on the panel being called a colourist, I was laughing so hard! A perfect virtual play for our politically correct times!

There is nothing as terrifying as hearing a sound that signals a tragedy and not knowing if your loved ones are safe. Vince Gatton provides no easy answers, even when luck seems to be on their side. This is definitely the sort of play you want to experience in person to get the full visceral effect of what these nurses are experiencing. I love that this is set at a convenience store and not in a hospital. There are several unexpected moments, which goes from an ordinary discussion about knitting to major trauma in a mere minutes. Excellent!

David Hilder has crafted a startling original and exceedingly poignant short play about reflection on the sum of one’s life. The grandmother is wise and comforting about these seemingly final moments, and perhaps most importantly, forgiving. A heartbreaking yet hopeful musing on acceptance and courage. Beautiful!

Trinity knows how to relieve stress like Taco Bell knows how to satisfy late night munchie cravings. I would love to see this live, and I am sure young actors would be able to relate to these characters and lean into them, as Monica Cross so cleverly conveys to us, like a Crunchwrap Supreme! A very fun, satisfying play!

I love that this a play about social media influencers who may or may not be experiencing something authentically and the audience will never know for sure, but that doesn’t lessen the enjoyment we experience in watching their performance. The actors are actually performing characters who are performing or who feel compelled to perform for an audience, and so what is authentic and what is fake, and does it even matter so long as there is an audience? A fascinating play that can work very well both onstage and online, and who knows? Maybe both simultaneously!

The title alone in this short play is quite illuminating, but the subtext here is a real gift for two actors to explore together and sink their acting chops into! As the new neighbor unpacks her things, the visiting neighbor comes over with a dessert and attempts to “unpack” all of the micro-aggressions that she and her son have experienced since the new neighbors moved in. This play will surely lead to interesting post show discussions. Excellent work!

This is an excellent play about a poet’s need to find an appreciative audience for her work despite living in a time when women are denied access to creative opportunities and the respect that should come with it. Jennifer O’Grady dramatizes this marginalization of women through Dickinson’s maid, who is marginalized due to her gender as well as her class status, to have the perceptive skills to know the Dickinson wanted her work to be read and understood. A wonderful play about creative expression and the struggles in releasing one’s art for the world to see.

Timothy King has written a fascinating play that is essentially about the nonlinear, often messy process of writing. King’s protagonist encounters Holocaust victims who return to inform him that no screenwriter has ever effectively captured the horrors of their experiences on film, and this conflict leads to serious problems, not only with his confidence in writing far outside of his wheelhouse, but also potentially causing a breakup with his girlfriend. There is genuine pathos, tension, and even some light-hearted humor in this drama. Highly recommended!

The emotional impact of this brief play is stunning. The concept of an alien family, including an innocent child, planning a hasty exit from a place where they don’t feel welcome, paints our current political and social climate in sharp focus. It harkens back to another moment of atrocity that is stated simply and directly, which gives the moment the gravity it deserves, and is all the more shocking due to how understated it is. Well done!