Recommended by Steven Hayet

This could be Partain's darkest play yet...literally. I was lucky to see a production of Monsters Beyond the Midnight Zone at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Set in complete darkness, this play is a dream for sound designers and directors who want to push the boundaries of immersive theater.

A terrific short play for a university theatre festival. In addition to flexible casting, every role is smartly written so that it provides room for an actor to bring their own unique spin and make it their own. I was able to see the FDU University Players production and the wind blew (pun intended) the audience away with his comedic timing.

Bultrowicz has written an absolutely absurd and hysterical crowd pleaser and a gift for two strong comedic actresses. The production I saw was the Act 2 finale of a college showcase and the perfect way to end an evening of short-plays. Fantastic!

I was so lucky to catch a reading of this play at Latinx Playwrights Circle. Franky Gonzalez has delivered another knockout of play. A thrilling, gut-wrenching piece about the amount of punishment we are willing to take to achieve our dreams. Gonzalez does a remarkable job of showing us the vulnerable side of these warriors and each fighter would be a dream role for an actor to play. (Juan’s monologue…can you say “Tony award, please!”) This play would be absolutely spectacular to see staged. It needs to happen!

Another fantastic play from “The Book of John.” After covering Adam & Eve and Abraham & Isaac, John Bavoso puts his clever satirical spin on another Biblical story: Noah and his wife. 
Through the lens of a classic sitcom, Bavoso expertly tackles the challenge of trying to make the best of unprecedented times and the struggles of being the last surviving couple. The Ark of Negotiation would be a highlight of any short play festival. Read it. Produce it!

Everyone wants to feel that their work matters…even Satan. A darkly clever humorous take on a classic tale where George Bailey is replaced by the Prince of Darkness and Clarence is a demon trying to earn his horns. A fun show for any Christmas fest, especially ones that aren’t worried about getting a lump of coal in their stocking. Well done!

I love this play. Dark, twisted, diabolical, and absolutely hysterical. Was able to see Broward College's production and laughed out loud constantly. Just brilliant writing. If you are looking for a Christmas play that will 100% earn you a lump of coal in your stocking, you need to produce this Becky's Xmas Wish.

There are plays where the writing is so solid that’ll just work anywhere, whether performed live in black box or recorded in a stop motion film using Barbie Dolls. JAM is one of those plays. Absurdly funny, genuinely relatable, (and sadly relevant), Gatton has written an absolute gem of a short play that would be a highlight of any festival.

To survive the apocalypse, all you need is Coca-Cola, some Captain Morgan, a bag of Funyuns, and your best friend. In I SPY, Randy Hunt has written a fun play about two childhood friends bracing for the worst, both in the distant future and the immediacy. We always talk about one's “Foxhole Friends.” Maybe “Bomb Shelter Buddies” could be a thing?

I was so incredibly fortunate to be able to catch a virtual reading of The Known Universe by Roly Poly Productions in the Mixed Asian Media Fest. I don't know want to give spoilers for this final chapter of The Second World Trilogy, so just read it. This piece will stick with you and have you thinking long after you get to "End of Play." Scott Sickles has taken us on Teddy and Anzor's journey from pen-pals to parents and the only way I can describe the conclusion is a satisfying gut punch. Go. Read it. Watch it. Experience it.