Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

The only thing harder than writing a novel that you can't figure out where it's going (or when you have an idea, it strikes at the WORST possible time) is writing a novel your mother doesn't approve of. Well...that and if your fictional characters also literally step out of your brain to fight you. Strayer's play is a thrilling, pulsating, and poignant clash of swords and hearts. Above all, it's a delicious and layered character study of self-discovery and living up (or not) to our parents' expectations. Fantastic work with some great opportunities for stellar fight choreo.

There is nothing more magical than a play that is unafraid of silence. Karuc's little slice-of-life first date is not only fearless, but it is tremendously beautiful. The characters and atmosphere leap off the page, and we are left with a complex combination of hope and worry for the budding relationship. A surefire hit for any short festival.

Dzubak's hilarious horror brings a whole new meaning to the love language of "giving gifts." You have to admire Claire and her resolve, she's a big romantic at heart. Wonderful little (and indeed bloody) short that twists and turns exactly the way you hope it will.

I wish I could describe the bizarre sense of surrealness that Cathro creates, because he does it by being blatantly, unflinchingly real. An unusual situation? Yes, but one that is so genuinely felt and keening that it begins to break the brain. There's a magic in the ordinary and the different in this play, ultimately forming a tableau of loneliness, wonder, and connection that would be striking to see live. I want nothing more than to see this on its feet. It is a beautiful piece of writing.

Being a millennial in America involves living day to day in a twisted, maddening insanity of forced smiles, hopeful apathy, social competition, internal panicked screaming, and pinches of genuine kindness. We succumb and give ourselves to it more and more each day. Barsanti verbalizes this better than any playwright I've ever seen. "Millennial Church" is a deliciously bonkers satire, with amazing characters, hella plenty physical comedy, and loads of bite, figurative and literal. So what if we appropriate another culture for own needs? America is demanding we survive. Gotta do it somehow. Produce this shit.

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.