Recommended by Greg Burdick

Toxic masculinity rightly gets its bell rung in this fantastic short by Gretchen Suarez-Pena. Lucy’s behavior in “Eye Candy” shines a light on the greasiness of catcalling, as the author whipsaws us into a gender-flipped scenario where men become the target. When the game grows tedious for Lucy’s friends, we see just how tiresome objectification can become. This would be a fun short piece for three college-aged female actors.

Anticipating. Power dynamics. Strategy. When Sirena and Cedric play chess after a steamy lovemaking session, the dance continues with suggestive wordplay, and tantalizing moves. I loved the stark vulnerability that Gretchen Suarez-Pena gives her male character here, and the bold self-confidence shown by his female counterpart. A funny and charming scene about what we risk, and what we can gain when we’re in love.

Suarez-Pena calls for this piece to be played in high Monty Python style. I can assure you after seeing a most excellent staged reading of this piece, “Watchwomen” indeed captures the tempo and rhythms, the unexpected turns, and the outright inanity of the most beloved Python sketches. Three perfectly crafted comic roles for women sure to delight audiences. Terrific fun!

I had the good fortune to see a staged reading of this quirky and creepy ten-minute play that gives an eerie sense of foreboding from the jump. Suarez-Pena is brewing something darkly dangerous here, but adds spoonfuls of hilarity to make it go down easy. Pinkies up!

The stakes are high when a person begins an affair. They become exponentially higher when their partner inevitably meets their rival. But if they’re forced to do so when the adulterer suddenly passes away, expect the stakes to be quivering at the breaking point. Gretchen Suarez-Pena crafts a taut ten-minute play that digs deep into themes of envy and privilege, love and loss, and yikes do things get awkward!

When reading and seeing Suarez-Pena’s work performed, it’s easy to recognize her deft skill in sketching characters with such depth and contour that it’s hard not to invest in them almost immediately. In Love Letters, one of the starkest contrasts is the cancel-culture opportunism Bianca brings when she discovers a dark secret from her aunt’s younger days. But Gia feels a firm obligation to protect the past, and the beauty of its memory. Filled with tender moments of emotional longing, and belly laugh revelations, this short play is a winner for two intergenerational women.

Preserving the text of Poe’s chilling short story classic, while distributing the words to an omniscient narrator and ethereal chorus, Foley transforms this unforgettable tale of terror into a winning radio drama. My performance and tech theatre students had a fantastic time digging in to this piece. Highly recommended for virtual production.

After watching Mind the Gap Theatre’s stellar virtual performance of this piece, Sickles’ gifts couldn’t be clearer. The dark irony of Fedora’s timing is only bested by the scene’s resolution. Love hurts. But it’s also really, really funny! A fantastic monologue for a performer with strong comic chops.

If you’re searching for a fun piece that’s perfect for virtual performance, take a look at this short from Allie Costa. It will remind you of every improv class you’ve ever taken... (everyone’s either a Grizz, or a Kristiana...) Fun, polarized, memorable characters, who ultimately manage to find an accord.

My students recently used this very clever short for scene work in my theatre classes. Mondeaux demonstrates that even superheroes aren’t impervious to the snags and perils of videoconferencing in our modern world. A fantastic piece for virtual performance, (but could be great fun live as well,) with ample opportunity for wild play with costume design.