Recommended by David Hansen

The dialogue in this play is so humorous, and each character so well-defined, it is easy to forget (or perhaps, easier to accept) the very deep and personal questions that are asked about the meaning of existence. What is remarkable and most fascinating is how each member of the ensemble has their own, unique crisis of faith, and challenges themselves to pass through it, growing and moving forward but also retaining the best part of themselves. A very positive experience!

Woodstock '99 (the concert) was the beginning of the 21st Century, and the open conflict between those seeking freedom, acceptance and a place at the table, and the hordes straight, white men who would rather destroy everything than lose their absolute dominance. Fraher's brief script is a parable, a warning, a lesson, and a vision of the conflict that still lies ahead for all of us. There's a lot packed into this short piece, and it's epic.

All this has happened before, and it will all happen again. And yet, as Busser makes all too evident with this funny but chilling short play, it will all happen again, again. In our collective race to perfect so-called "artificial intelligence" we will chase each others' tails while the machines become smarter and smarter as they watch us do it. Very well done.

A fascinating exploration of the meaning of life, suggesting the philosophy that all life has meaning, and possibly that only life has meaning, and that death, choosing death, is meaningless. Edmondson has created a neat (as in compact) two-person short play which has much to say, and say well, in a short period of time, which is itself a great argument for choosing to continue living.

Theater people are the most frustrating people, as Minigan so elegantly and craftily illustrates with this script. It is a remarkable depiction of the deep understanding necessary to successfully, usefully communicate the text in any script, more particularly that of Shakespeare, but it does drive the instructors and the performers rather mad. The entire enterprise, even successfully executed can still leave one hollow and searching. We communicate, yet fail to connect. Brilliant!

What's a Grecian Urn? Not enough, and John would know. This sketch is a Pantheon of Puns.

Rosenberg has that notable ability to communicate so much of who their characters are purely through dialogue, Gen and Vee hiding so much as adolescents while at the same time emotionally naked to the audience. "How To Destroy" is painful, but at last hopeful, suggesting a way through which is neither easily won nor at all expected, which is something we all need right now.

Wang is a singular witness to and reporter of the ongoing conflict between the races on this continent, and never so eloquent as when she so elegantly captures (and reports) the nut, the root of the impasse, that point in which all present are unable to see beyond their own conundrum. How do we break through? I do not know, but I am grateful that Wang continues to challenge us.

Last night I had the great opportunity to read this piece aloud with the playwright (me: Great, he: Young) before a loud and appreciative audience; Brett's wit cut through the night and had the audience howling, but it is the argument itself, the one we are having today, between the older generations and the younger, that make this short work truly powerful and resonant. We should all have such grand conversations with ourselves.

"Never meet your heroes." A sweet, brief, sympathetic two-hander that asks a very important question, what would you say to the most inspirational person in your life in ten seconds? And the answer (spoiler alert) is nothing, leave them be, be glad you saw them, and don't be weird. And in today's social climate that may be the greatest lesson of all. Well done!