Recommended by Rebecca Kane

Just had the pleasure of taking this in at Edinburgh Fringe. There are so many small moments and one-liners that are both beautiful and devastating, lines that totally floored me, but even so, I was never distracted or compelled to remove myself from the play to stop and think. The rhythm of the play is smart like that -- knowing exactly when to move quickly between moments and when to slow down to let you take in what it means to love, to make art as a genius, and when those concepts collide.

It's rare these days to see a play that centers senior characters in such a loveable, energetic, and positive way. It's rarer even to see a play where I root for every character, regardless of their age. Yet make no mistake -- even though Discards is a solid romcom of a play, there's also meaty conflict, twists & turns, and character development for days! Any theater would be lucky to include this in their season, and I hope to see it popping up across the country as often as it deserves.

The contrasts here are incredible. There's the innocence of the child at the outset, and the obviously selfish nature of Trumbo, brought to a chilling role reversal by the end. The dark fantasy element of figuring out who's on the other end of the phone, and the stark realism of a child's play. And of course, Matthew Weaver has made a villain so familiar to us, yet a story so original. I hope to see this add a splash of darkness to theatre festivals everywhere!

A very striking piece, one that could work in the simplest of spaces, or with elaborate design. In such a short conversation, these characters don't waste a single word, a testament to Xanthopoulou's deftness with dialogue. I'll be thinking about the ending for days!

It's rare that I see such evocative food imagery in a piece that could also easily work for an actor's showcase. But beyond containing delicious descriptions, we're treated to the rare & worthy perspective of a server who shows love and a desire to share joy through serving food versus the usual snide humor and simmering resentment (though make no mistake, there are also funny moments sprinkled throughout.) It's a palate cleanser in the form of a quick, accessible solo piece.

I applaud Brent's ability to convey such a layered relationship with just a few pages of dialogue. When you figure out what's going on with Charlotte, it's somehow both chilling and heartwarming. I'll be forever picturing the expression described on Charlotte's face -- a very satisfying final picture. I imagine this as a solid addition to any night of ten minute plays, especially as an approachable but more dramatic piece amidst some quick comedies. Thanks for inviting us to Thanksgiving, Brent!

I'm really impressed by how much James Perry gets across with this family in such a short amount of time. I'd recommend this to any theatre company looking for the rare combination of a quick, realistic, and layered portrayal of grief.

This monologue reads swiftly, just as a monologue should. In such a short time, I'm impressed with how the character is well-established, not to mention the staggering change in situation that Syran accommodated easily as well. The imagery is evocative enough that I felt myself on this train along with the narrator each step of the way -- including the gut punch of her return to the cabin. Thank you for this quick, complete story!

Move over, Search Party -- there's a new thriller in town, also with biting humor, cleverly modern themes, and a killer cast (in more ways than one). The way Peter Fenton wove the already high stakes world of publishing into a vicious murder plot, while never losing the thread of love throughout, shows ability to flesh out a script like no other. Fenton is clearly at the top of his game here, and I can picture this script knocking it out of the park on Netflix too.

Had the pleasure of taking in this play through the Epiphanies festival at Wild Imaginings. Osmundsen has the incredible ability to command empathy for his characters from just seconds of seeing them on stage. The reveal of what is "out there" is devastating, but there is a beautiful thread of hope for these characters throughout, and I'm beyond excited to take in more of this playwrights' work to seek more of wonderful emotional layering like that.