Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

Ah! There is such a fun, propelling whimsy in this piece. Ruby and Wendell may be adults, but they have not lost their childlike sense of wonder (*cough...and fascination with aliens). It is captivating (and mildly gut-punching) to see their philosophizing personalities confined to zoom, but so worth listening to as they discuss love, math, dogs, fried chicken, and more.

Middaugh's play is a touching and brilliantly theatrical short piece that bravely dives into mental illness and homelessness. Watching Mabel converse with "Don" is heart-wrenching in the best of ways, and their exchange provides producing companies opportunities for inventive design throughout. A lovely scene of perseverance and the human spirit.

What choices do we make in a world that might be gone in less than three generations? Who do we love? Sickles continues the incredible story of “Marianas Trench” in this second chapter of the trilogy. Second chapters are my favorite, because you can dive into so much juicy character work you can’t always tackle in others. “Pangea” does that, but masterfully tells a story that stands on its own at the same time. It is a moving, romantic, funny, and deliciously questioning play in a tiny, vast, icy speck on a dying planet. And it is beautiful.

A gut-wrenching, deeply moving play, Vovos’ one-man show is a triumphant piece of writing that fearlessly dives into the murky anguish of heroin addiction. Thankfully, Brain (and Hope!) is an instant force of charisma, guiding us like a life preserver through the many lessons to learn about "respectable" drug use. It is an unflinching, candid experience that is undeniably powerful on just the page, and I can only imagine how profound it would be to see live. Excellent work. Highly recommend.

A wild, raucous mix of tragedy and screwball comedy with endless opportunities for clever and creative design. LeJeune somehow evokes eldritch horror and architecture at the same time as Statler and Waldorf dialogue bits, and the charm on hand is absolutely undeniable as we meet each member of the “family.” The mystery of the world continually draws us in, and the physical comedy opportunities are overflowing. It is always wonderful to encounter a script you could see staged in vastly different ways, and I would be in line for each one.

A twisting, malleable play that smashes up a trip down into Wonderland against the massive destabilization of sexual assault. Hartley’s metaphor is raw and on point, and provides a plethora of food for thought through each of his distinct characters. Determining the parallels and differences is great fun, while a subtle menace permeates each scene. I would love to see this staged.

Hageman gives audiences a small window into a (hopefully not future) dystopia through the chance encounter of two former friends now on opposite sides. The scene is paced beautifully as Marty and Lux break down each other’s barriers and let loose, and the world-building gives us just enough information to follow while also leaving a healthy amount to our imagination. Wonderfully constructed short that would be a service to any ten minute festival.

An infectious, tightly woven epic that gives the subject of Mercutio’s iconic speech a welcome starring turn. Danley’s skill, like Mab’s powers, is a force to be reckoned with, and she has crafted an intricate and momentous story amidst Shakespeare’s, while sprinkling in just enough of the moments from Good William’s version that we like to see. It is an astounding feat of writing. Frankly, if you ever think about doing R&J in the future, I strongly suggest you consider this play instead.

With a timely and provocative nightmare of a play, Ezer probes into and condemns America’s ugly history (and unfortunate present) with race relations. There are influences of Beckett and brutal absurdism in the structure of the world, evoking an encompassing and inescapable existential crisis for the characters and audience. An uncomfortable, biting read in the best of ways, this would be chilling and amazing to see live. Excellently done.

A smart, unsettling horror that makes excellent use of the Zoom medium, Ki’s play makes you uncomfortable in the best of ways, asking which of us deserve to be condemned for the choices we made as children. Obviously whether we deserve punishment or not doesn’t exactly matter when an angry spirit is involved, but the question is a dense one, and watching the characters battle both is fun, scary, and disturbing.