Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

At once an epic poem, a dance, a slice of life, and more, Burnet's play is weaved together like a pulsating web trying to hold on to anything and everything in the midst of a nameless Void. It's a daring piece, one that some companies genuinely might be too afraid to touch. But for those ready to arm themselves, they'll find an infinite playground of cosmic forces and love, pushing them to the brim of their artistry. I would love to see this on its feet. Everyone deserves the opportunity to respond to this play. It's stellar.

A dream-like, Twilight Zone-esque little tale. Lawing's world runs that tricky, perfect line of detailed vagueness, resulting in an atmosphere filled with whimsical dread. We know something is going to happen when Punt arrives, we just don't know what. When we find out, it's melancholy, touching, and actually quite beautiful. Sad, but also hopeful. Better than what we feared most. A delicate balancing act perfect for any short festival looking for a little mystery and fancy.

A perfect trifecta of Christie homage, Clue, and supernatural horror comedy, Brown's play is just everything. Everything I love in a play. Everything I want in a play. Everything everybody deserves in a play. Read the character descriptions and first page alone, and you'll be sucked into wanting to produce, act in, direct, and have anything to do with its macabre, campy, gloriously horrific playground. Hilarious, charming, wholesome (aside from the titular murder), and precisely the kind of play that doesn't get produced enough. We should amend our mistakes.

My partner has a green thumb, so thanks to this short, I know I'll at least serve some purpose after death. Truly this is my favorite kind of play. Dark, but with lots of smiles! The gardener's whimsy is pitch perfect, and McBurnette-Andronicos controls a masterful pace as we slowly begin to realize (like Brad) just what exactly is going on. The reveals are joyous, whip-smart, shocking, and fun as hell. This would be so much fun to see live.

A divine, delightful short play that proves it's not exposition that's boring, it's just the delivery. Radtke's characters deliver their cliches and stereotypes with deft aplomb, and it's absolutely hilarious from beginning to end. I saw a reading of this piece and was quite thankful to have been on the other end of a zoom call, because had I been seeing it live, my cackling would most definitely have disturbed the actors. A surefire hit for any little festival.

One thing I love about Malone is how he mines the absolute most out of a premise. From the simple to the complex, from the real to the absurd, he leaves no stone unturned or possibility by the wayside. In "Chapter Envy," the struggle of a married couple in sharing (which, in this case, is not caring) a novel proves unendingly tense, hysterical, and inventive. While intended for younger performers, actors and audiences of any age will enjoy and relate to the hell out of this short play.

A powerhouse of a ten minute play, and without hyperbole, one of the best I've ever seen. Gatton's piece almost leaves me at a loss for words, for fear I spoil its genius and machinations by saying more. I will say it's funny, heartfelt, mournful, and so unbelievably layered, culminating in a fantastic monologue wherein Dimitri describes something he doesn't quite understand, but we instantly do. And then, of course, we go one step further. Perform this. Study it in class settings. You don't find much better than this.

A handy, divine metaphor for the mental stress and trauma of dealing with obesity and eating disorders, Lamedman's short comedy is a thoughtful, poignant hoot. I also applaud the restraint on display, as it's so easy with this kind of piece to punch down with the subject matter. The characters' battles are real, treated honestly, and they affect each other genuinely. Lovely work.

This one will stick with you. Sickles' solo piece is thrilling, creepy, and evocative, standing with the best of the best "lost in the woods" stories. The horror is first-rate, as always, but the true gems of this play sneak up on us (as well as Skylar), and paint a lasting image and perturbation in our minds. It's just delightful in the least comforting of ways, and the ending manages to throw everything on its head, leaving us with plenty to ponder. You could do this hundreds of ways, and you should.

We've all heard the adage. "Don't feed the trolls." Whatever we're looking for, whatever we're hoping to gain, whatever we're trying to prove, the anonymity of the internet has brought the worst of humanity to a bigger platform than ever, and to enter combat against it is futile. Richter's short play is hilarious (for us), excellently astute, and brilliant, especially once the origin of the discourse is revealed. Why is it always [spoilers] fans? Just give up, Simon.