Recommended by Monica Cross

BERBERT is a whimsical look at love and attraction. Adam Szymkowicz creates an almost cartoon-like scenario which is both humorous and thought provoking. And Berbert says is all: "Berbert."

From the moment I read the subtitle on the title page, I knew this play was a winner: "A Murder Mystery without the Mystery" ::chef's kiss:: Alex Kingsley masterfully navigates twists and turns in roller coaster of a 10-minute play. SINCEREST CONDOLENCES puts the fun in funeral! With some many fantastic parts to play and delightful props (a coffin that is literally falling apart!), this play will have everyone working on it laughing just as much as the audience.

I highly recommend this play!

THE OKTAVIST is a Masterclass in the 10-minute play! Vince Gatton gives us conflict, character development, and revelations all in 10-minutes. The is so much subtlety and subtext in this play that you can feel what is unsaid even in reading it. This play is powerful and beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Christopher Soucy brings this classic story to life in a brand new way, creating a new tale that takes place in this classic world. I got the opportunity to read an early draft of this play. This play is beautiful and haunting. As the curse of The King in Yellow unfurls, the revelation of the story is eerie and disturbing to the point of insanity. Those familiar with the source material will love the little nugget of the original tales.

This play demands to be on stage! But read it at your own risk!

BRAVO!

Hey! I know him! Not THAT Steve Martin, but the Steve Martin mentioned in this play. Hilary Bluestein-Lyons creates moments in this play that deeply resonate with adults trying to maintain friendships with other adults (even as we all get weirder with age), playwrights who have ever had to justify their profession to anyone ever, and friends of Steve Martin, who will always clarify that they know the superior Steve Martin. This play is full of awkward interactions and unique holiday traditions, that would be absolutely delightful to stage.

Well Done! Highly Recommend!

One of the awesome things about Science Fiction is that the stakes can skyrocket very quickly, and theatre is all about stakes! HARD DEADLINE is a great example of swift escalation in Science Fiction Theatre! One minute it's all like Your-best-friend-is-an-alien and the next, we have kill-me-or-the-planet-is-doomed! Adam Richter delivers a fun, if intense, play about friendship and world domination.

While very simple to stage, this play also leaves a lot of awesome possibilities for designers.

BRAVO!

OUTER SPACE FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT is a delightful short science fiction play. Cole Hunter Dzubak takes "this meeting could have been an email" to a whole new level on Pluto's moons. This is fast paced and full of fun staging possibilities.

I'M GONNA NEED YOU TO LOG OFF FOR ME is a thoroughly wonderful satire of the state of AI art at the moment. With delightful twists and turns, Daniel Prillaman creates a 10-minute play that will make you laugh and make you think. Each character would be a tremendous amount of fun to play!

BRAVO!

ONCE UPON A SMORGASBORD is a lovely tale of lose, grief, and possibly hope(?). The style is haunting and the ending is sweet. This play feels so effortless to stage, which is great because all of the emotional heavy lifting is in the words Miranda Jonte gives these characters. With an ending that will bring a smile, this piece is perfect for any 10-minute play festival!

BRAVA!

JACOB AND EBENEZER: A LOVE STORY is a bittersweet prequel to Charles Dickens's A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
In it, we get to see the stuff in between the visions the ghost of Christmas Past has Scrooge relive, and we see how one relationship shaped and molded him. As a huge fan of a Christmas Carol, I felt this fit seamlessly and beautifully into the mythos of Dickens's story. It is heartbreaking (and lovely) to watch as these characters grapple with their own limited understanding of humanity.

BRAVO! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!