Recommended by Greg Burdick

Had the townsfolk in Vintner’s play known about the Weekly World News, it never would have gone out of business. They’re all sharp as marbles. “Speak of the Devil” is packed with characters who would be wildly fun to play. Billed as a farce, the dialogue is rapid fire, the storyline is absurd, and the simple problem introduced at the top snowballs wrecklessly toward the ending with unexpected hijinx. Pure unadulterated brain candy that would be equally fun to produce and watch.

Brennan’s short play takes the construct of inner monologue to the digital age. It’s simultaneously funny and poignant. We get to see His and Her avatars... what they’re REALLY thinking, post-workout at the gym. Tethered to their loneliness, their devices isolate and prevent real connection in their lives, until the inevitable discovery of their shared frustration and joy. Laced with wonderful flourishes of humor, it reminds us we often feel alone only because we’re choosing to be. Great options for the infusion of tech, or keeping it simple by casting additional actors for the IMs.

Living in someone elses’s shadow while trying to blaze your own trail. This is the quandary of the wrong Jen Harper. Hayet captures the frustration of thunder stolen, and how it can stoke the fires of boundless ambition. We root for the wrong Jen to become the right one, and when that glorious moment arrives, there isn’t a stage name out there that could keep her from the limelight. A fantastic story of dedication to a dream, and the lengths we’ll go to to see it realized.

Anxiety can be crippling. In Haas’ psychological short, she successfully captures the torturous inner dialogue understood all too well by anyone battling it. Alice’s coping mechanism gets the better of her, and sadly short circuits her ability to live life fully. She’ll scale heights, but only those with measured risk... and the bear, no matter how cute and cuddly, will always win. It’s more adaptable than Alice. The play challenges us to silence those voices robbing us from adventure and the wild abandon of impulse in our own lives. Unique, fresh storytelling.

All students college-ready. All students engaged from bell-to-bell. All students treated equally. Sounds good on paper... until you see Omorotionmwan’s frightening imagining of the climate of a classroom where these principles drive the instruction... or else.

Equal parts Monty Python and The Office, “Fumblewinter” is an absurd, laugh riot. Audiences watching (participating in!) this play will bear witness to the most simple-minded/back-woods yet technologically advanced (and yes, inept with it all,) Viking tribe the world has ever seen. We’re reminded that even with all the tech and information at its fingertips, civilizations are capable of doing some really stupid things. Easy for us to laugh at these Icelanders, but Carnes is holding the mirror up to us. The play is a mega playground for character actors... and they’re in for a treat.

Gardner has a most enviable talent in creating characters using spare dialogue, while still yielding complex personalities of great depth. In “Ghost,” she gives us PC and altruistic Lyle, douchey and self-involved Sebastian, and Petra, caught somewhere in the middle... who lives boldly, but sometimes struggles with the consequences of her life choices. When all three are onstage, the chemistry is explosive. Thoughtful commentary on modern dating, the philosophy of sex work, and morality. No doubt- audiences will be giving Lyle’s “How Bad a Person Are You?” quiz to eachother on the way out of the theatre. Go for 3.

The verse employed in this modern day folk tale gives the story a driving rhythm that immediately draws you in... we’re on the journey with Leslie for the whole ride. JC’s running gag/perfectly timed entrances offer just the right amount of humor to offset the grim necessity for his presence. Diaz-Marcano is a proven playwright, but this piece definitely shows his chops as a poet too.

Gardner shows us just how different our perceptions of the same person can be in this macabre, yet lively one act. The title sets us up for an evening of pointed contrasts... grief and laughter, guilt and accusation, torment and release. But we also see love and regret; and until those two are sorted out, Trip and Gwen must come to terms with the past before they can rise from the ashes. Rich dialogue that is beautifully paced. Powerful images that will definitely haunt.

A perfect holiday short for middle or high school actors, ‘A Tale of Two Ornaments’ challenges the performers’ physicality, yet is easily produced. Lots of room for imaginative costume design. Silly, charming, and fun. And yes, zoomies are a thing.