Recommended by Rachael Carnes

Hilarious and engaging, Partain's dialogue crackles with truisms -- the technology changes, but the Dating Game remains as rife with challenges as ever. The ease with which Partain delivers the story arc belies the artful structure of the work. This play is a playground for a creative team.

This play has a great hook and it's funny as heck — But it's what's brewing just below the surface that really impresses. Roberts has dropped us into he broken world of the has-been child star, and in her idle idolatry, we find a telling commentary of women in many roles, onstage and off.

Anita Bryant gets hers in this clever short play. I love how Goldner delivers a snappy comeuppance — in the form of a sassy angel — But I'm even more moved by how the writer develops this portrayal of what a lifetime of hate and judgement do to a person. Here, Bryant's beauty queen persona is stripped to fear and frailty. It's satire at its finest.

Wow! This is an epic 10-minute play! Chockfull of characters and mood — Would be a lot of fun for a college or university - with two languages and all kinds of mood. Robert takes us on a journey, transporting familiar character types (borrowed from Dracula) to the Wild West. He's firing on all pistons here, and I know that this play, if/when produced, would be totally entertaining to the audience. Creative teams would have a lot of fun exploiting the language and big action.

Oh my goodness — this play will bring you in close and leave you with your jaw hanging open. I was totally sucked in during a recent staged reading, and I'm so glad to have had the chance to re-read it just to see how Brewer build this tight ten-minutes.

The Job Interview is its own circle of hell, and Vansant gets this one just right. An enjoyable blend of theatrical spectacle and mundane (but consequential) power struggle. Funny and truth-telling -- we've all been here, at one time or another.

This monologue develops poetically, yet effortlessly, carrying with it the rhythm of memory and the many moments that accent life and living — And letting go. It's richly detailed, and deeply resonant. Loewenstern walks a lovely line between poetry and prose, knowing just how to hold the tension, and just when to release.

A delightful romp with big laughs — This piece had the audience in stitches at a recent reading. No wonder it's so oft-produced! Sharp-witted and goofy, a winning combination.

At once visceral and intelligent, this play delves into the dance between past and present, moving on and not forgetting. Salisbury is uncompromising in this tight, tense piece that is all too timely. Would make a powerful addition to a short political play festival.

Gripping drama that rings so true. Jolly creates a complete world here, in just a few short pages, setting us down between two people in the throes of absolute grief, as they grapple with grieving in different ways. Crisp, compelling dialogue draws us into these characters who both possess tremendous capacities and frailties. No spoilers, but that last page, though. Read and produce this play.