Recommended by Monica Cross

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    There is a desperate certainty in this play. This play has Hansen's signature blend of open-ended scene meets a highly specific moment. And this moment is a highly charged sci-fi scenario that actors can really sink their teeth into. It calls to mind a certain kind of faith is something bigger than the present moment.

    There is a desperate certainty in this play. This play has Hansen's signature blend of open-ended scene meets a highly specific moment. And this moment is a highly charged sci-fi scenario that actors can really sink their teeth into. It calls to mind a certain kind of faith is something bigger than the present moment.

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    I chortled! Beyond funny! And not just the classic scifi movie reference, but the reactions of the other characters! Short. Pithy. Disturbing!

    I chortled! Beyond funny! And not just the classic scifi movie reference, but the reactions of the other characters! Short. Pithy. Disturbing!

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    Any play that references the all time greatest monologue of film and television is immediately on my top plays list! And it had me instantly laughing the way Allan Maule weaves it into a discussion of fame and legacy and just trying to do right by your kids. This is a delightfully referential play that is commenting on how hard it is to keep up with everything that is trending.

    Any play that references the all time greatest monologue of film and television is immediately on my top plays list! And it had me instantly laughing the way Allan Maule weaves it into a discussion of fame and legacy and just trying to do right by your kids. This is a delightfully referential play that is commenting on how hard it is to keep up with everything that is trending.

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    This is a cozy, feel good take on loss and the end of relationships. The sweet melancholy of Scott Sickles's dialogue matches the winter night setting. But don't let my descriptions paint a lopsided portrait of this play, it is wickedly funny. I could see this play taking place in Stars Hollow (of the Gilmore Girls)! Hibernation is a glimpse at the world the way it should be.

    This is a cozy, feel good take on loss and the end of relationships. The sweet melancholy of Scott Sickles's dialogue matches the winter night setting. But don't let my descriptions paint a lopsided portrait of this play, it is wickedly funny. I could see this play taking place in Stars Hollow (of the Gilmore Girls)! Hibernation is a glimpse at the world the way it should be.

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    I got to see a recording of an early reading of Rooftop and loved the premise and the characters. Bethany has since revised Rooftop and this script is so intense! The use of projection and video throughout this play coupled with the suggestiveness of the set is great for building the suspense as Con and Edie climb. Both characters are complex and would be really fun to play.

    I got to see a recording of an early reading of Rooftop and loved the premise and the characters. Bethany has since revised Rooftop and this script is so intense! The use of projection and video throughout this play coupled with the suggestiveness of the set is great for building the suspense as Con and Edie climb. Both characters are complex and would be really fun to play.

  • Monica Cross: Bubba and Krystyl are Unraveling the Fabric of Reality and Playing with It Like a Ball of String (and we’re all kinda glad they are) by Melissa Schmitz
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    This is delightful play lives up to its name! Bubba and Krystyl (and Gary) seem like immensely fun parts to play. And who doesn't want to play a goddess! A recording of this was available as part of AIFF Digital Fringe 2025. It's the Purr-fect play for any short play festival!

    This is delightful play lives up to its name! Bubba and Krystyl (and Gary) seem like immensely fun parts to play. And who doesn't want to play a goddess! A recording of this was available as part of AIFF Digital Fringe 2025. It's the Purr-fect play for any short play festival!

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  • Monica Cross: Playhouse by Bethany Dickens Assaf
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    Critique of 1950s gender stereotypes is a Bethany Dickens Assaf tradmark motif, the paranormal is another, and in true Bethany Dickens Assaf fashion, this play blends the two beautifully. This is a deliciously fun one-person play (if you don't count the ghosts) set up in the guise of a dating app video (and if fact I could see this being fun done in a digital format). The technical elements (eerie sound effects, ghosts, blood) are a designer's dream!

    Critique of 1950s gender stereotypes is a Bethany Dickens Assaf tradmark motif, the paranormal is another, and in true Bethany Dickens Assaf fashion, this play blends the two beautifully. This is a deliciously fun one-person play (if you don't count the ghosts) set up in the guise of a dating app video (and if fact I could see this being fun done in a digital format). The technical elements (eerie sound effects, ghosts, blood) are a designer's dream!

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  • Monica Cross: Before We Were Bake Sale Pies (3 Min Play) by Elisabeth Giffin Speckman
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    BEFORE WE WERE BAKE SALE PIES is a beautiful play about the nostalgia of what we used to be. From the point of view of three pies, Elisabeth Giffin Speckman creates a lyrical introspection that leaves the reader (and audience member) wanting more, yet satisfying us that this is complete and whole in its current form. Speckman has given actors, directors, and designers an invitation to explore through this play. Looking for a fun scene to play around with? This is it!

    BEFORE WE WERE BAKE SALE PIES is a beautiful play about the nostalgia of what we used to be. From the point of view of three pies, Elisabeth Giffin Speckman creates a lyrical introspection that leaves the reader (and audience member) wanting more, yet satisfying us that this is complete and whole in its current form. Speckman has given actors, directors, and designers an invitation to explore through this play. Looking for a fun scene to play around with? This is it!

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  • Monica Cross: FOLD [A 1-MINUTE PLAY] by Steven G. Martin
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    Steven G. Martin creates such an economy of meaning and emotion in Fold! This 1-minute play lives on far beyond the moment dramatized, giving is a clear glimpse at the before and leaving is to imagine that after. Strong roles for women. Well done, Steve!

    Steven G. Martin creates such an economy of meaning and emotion in Fold! This 1-minute play lives on far beyond the moment dramatized, giving is a clear glimpse at the before and leaving is to imagine that after. Strong roles for women. Well done, Steve!

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  • Monica Cross: Interrogation (short play) by David Hansen
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    David Hansen gives us an object lesson in obfuscation. INTERROGATION is a witty short play with a quick dialogue and a satisfying ending. A great scene!

    David Hansen gives us an object lesson in obfuscation. INTERROGATION is a witty short play with a quick dialogue and a satisfying ending. A great scene!

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