Recommended by Andrew Martineau

The notion that a fallen angel must win over a demon to return to heaven makes for a compelling study in contrasts. Set in a bar where the bourbon needs sugar and the salsa is alarmingly delicious, this is really a celebration of life on Earth with all of its confusing bodily functions, awkward questions, and Epicurean delights.The humor and insights in this brief play are.exceptional.

This is high voltage fun and is written with the kind of frenzied energy that probably only a eight-year-old can muster. It brought me back to my days of teaching creative dramatics and got me wishing I had had this play at my disposal. It teaches a great lesson of acceptance and cooperation. It reminded me of the style of Mo Willams a little bit but still very original!

Reading TAKEOUT during a pandemic made me realize that claustrophobia, fear of strangers in close contact and dating in general are all very anxiety-inducing even without the threat of viral contamination! Despite the unpleasant circumstances and high stakes, D. Lee Miller manages to use a light, witty touch. With skilled comic actors, I am sure it plays beautifully.

TEACHER KEY offers middle school acting students a chance to play a realistic conflict that they can relate to and gives young teen audience members a valuable lesson in honesty and self-respect. The dialogue is natural and never comes off as pedantic, which is often hard to find in TYA dramas.

NOT SO CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS is genuinely funny from start to finish. I loved the plot twist at the end, and I reflected on the idea that a virus does not discriminate, but the protocols it requires can lead to some ingenious scheming and double-crossing! We need this kind of dark humor in our lives right now. Laugh out loud funny!

Hope Villanueva has captured the claustrophobic nature of the pandemic through the virtual online format that balances theatricality and intimacy very well. It made me consider how risk-taking and bravery is generally necessary for a happy life. The play also speaks to the reliance we tend to have on familial bonds, especially in uncertain times. THRESHOLD leaves us with much to reflect upon after a few brief minutes.

TRAPPED is an apt title for the double meaning of Rapunzel's predicament. Whether it's an evil mother holding you hostage or an addictive device spreading misinformation, Adam Richter's clever dialogue and insightful message of technology's downside creates a unique spin on a classic fairy tale. It made me wonder what trouble Rapunzel, armed in the head with her arsenal of fake news, would get into next. An entertaining play that all teenagers and adults should watch.

Dan Taube has written a short play that would great for young actors, with multiple beats and subtext in a heated exchange between two college roommates who apparently have been holding back their true thoughts about each other for some time. The pot seems to loosen their tongues and they reach an understanding. I can see this working well onstage and in an acting class.

Empathy is a tricky emotion to convey onstage, particularly in a very brief play . A SHELL OF WHO SHE ONCE WAS is a play that conveys true empathy. It involves immense tragedy, shock and loss. Greg Burdick creates a glimpse of empathy so palpable that the audience may want to turn away from the action at first, but then should feel compelled to let it sink in and ruminate long after the final devastating moment. Actors will love to play these parts.

Nature is captivating, beautiful and isolating, and snow has the ability to both enthrall us and trap us. Szymkowicz’s play reminds me of one of those Twilight Zone episodes in which we realize the nature of the entrapment at the end. In this case, I imagined these four characters, not in a bar, but rather stuck inside a snow globe. They are safe and clean but are depriving themselves of the messy complications of genuine human connection. Fascinating and insightful work.