Recommended by Greg Burdick

One not-so-wonderful bonus of being a cat owner is the seemingly endless parade of offerings our feline friends drop at our feet after they’ve been outside, stalking. If you’re lucky, a simple “thank you,” gentle caress of praise, and discreet disposal of the carcass is enough to appease. But Greg Mandryk deftly delivers a far more horrifying scenario in this suspenseful short… featuring a stunning ending with “Wait Until Dark” energy that would be delicious fun for sound and light designers.

Were John Hughes alive today, he might give us something exactly like Jennie Webb’s insightful dark comedy, Brand New Script. Webb’s dialogue expertly captures the rhythms of contemporary teen-speak, and shows us how young people process their collective traumas in the 21st century. The ease with which characters rattle off a laundry list of behavioral and developmental diagnoses, along with the stunning proclamation “it’s just pills” as a curative, speaks volumes about where we are culturally.

The title of this gripping work references a term (and yes, I had to look it up…) which is now obsolete. Nevertheless, Gardner terrifyingly exploits the fact that its definition remains painfully relevant. As dark and violent as the best of McDonagh but more cerebral, ULTION tap dances philosophically on the blurry line between vengeance and justice. Power dynamics make massive swings in shocking and satisfying twists and turns, and the ending serves up a delicious conclusion. A page turner!

I recently had the privilege of seeing freeFall Theatre’s stunning production of FABLE in St. Petersburg, FL. DeVita’s intimate familiarity with the long-standing sibling struggle of sisters June Havoc and “Gypsy Rose Lee” is plainly apparent in this mesmerizing homage. Seeing June at three key stages of her life: bright eyed child prodigy, shrewd negotiator and holdout, and then remorseful and bitter aging performer eclipsed by stolen stardom, is exploited beautifully in this charging drama.

In “Preparing For A Small Conference in Hell,” Stan is our Everyman, and his wife is poised to deliver a crushing Book of Reckoning. Matt Cowley may well have unlocked some time immemorial secrets about the universe using the simple metaphors of fruitcake and nougat… a wonderful short about our transgressions, and how we can kinda-sorta rise above them.

While The Heirs of Pretending is an unapologetic love letter to the theatre (warts and all,) it beautifully examines the profound cost levied on a family when work intrudes too deeply into their lives at home. The play asks us to look hard at the inevitability of aging, and what we both deliberately, and unknowingly bequeath to those who follow us. Eberlein’s dialogue here can be lightning-fast, but when his characters linger in their thoughts, we’re left hanging on every word… holding our collective breath… wondering what will happen next. Beautiful work.

“Youth For Dark” is a smart exploration of power dynamics between public school administrators and students, and the risks and consequences of speaking truth to that power. Whalen’s play unfolds beautifully, with increasingly clever interchanges between young David, and the aging Mr. Durkis. A Socratic seminar, where the folks in charge get schooled. Outstanding.

This piece was an absolute standout at Theatre Odyssey’s recent 10-Minute Play Festival. Featuring two juicy parts for intergenerational women, “Happy Birthday, Leonard” navigates sexuality, intimacy, youth and aging, as Eleanor and Sunshine finalize the terms of a unique gift. Well written, and loaded with laughs.

In ten minutes, John Kelly delivers a fantastic metaphysical musing on invisible forces that have a hand in our development, our deportment, and our destiny. This piece is equal parts philosophically moving, and charmingly hilarious. Reap what’s been planted here, and consider it for your next short play festival.

A deeply chilling two minutes. It isn’t normal that a play like this is necessary, but I’ll keep boosting its signal until NOT needing it becomes our country’s new normal... if that day will ever come.