Recommended by Robert Weibezahl

SIMPLE BLACK MARKS is anything but simple. In just a minute or so, Williams (through his teacher character) expertly unpacks ageless passions about books, learning, and the art of teaching which, like good theatre, is meant to illuminate and agitate rather than inculcate. Bravo!

This memorable monologue packs extra punch because beneath the surface of its heartbreaking revelations are truly haunting issues of fathers and sons perpetuating the cycle of masking and suppressing true feelings, as well as damaging notions of manhood.

A timely history lesson wrapped in a compelling ghost story. Martineau beautifully captures and delineates the distinctive voices of his youthful characters, even managing to inject welcome humor into a very serious subject. This is a perfect play for college or high school drama programs: entertaining, instructive, and sure to spark lively discussion.

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not to get you! Feriend twists many tropes in clever ways in this delightful examination of marriage, infidelity, envy, mid-life crises...and milk shakes. And she gives us two endings from which to choose, each of which, despite the seemingly same conclusion, colors the play and the fate of the marriage in very different ways.

Beautifully capturing the voices of two teenage girls, this comedy also captures something more elusive: the conflicts and contradictions of being a teen and balancing the often confusing emotions and impulses that define those fraught years.

A delightful short play that beautifully underscores the dirty little secret of the film business, both then and now: the unsung, invaluable contribution of women who kept (keep) things together behind the scenes. With all it theatrical elements—offstage voices! Singing and dancing!—the world of early moviemaking comes to vibrant life. I would love to see this performed—and what a great role for the right actress!

This sharp ten-minute satire says so much about the way we live now because, despite its slightly absurd setup, it is so disturbingly plausible. Laugh till you cry and then pour yourself a stiff one. Bravo, Maximillian Gill. Shelve this one under classics.

We are all made up of our past, our present, and our future. Martin eloquently explores the “three ages of man” with depth and insight as different incarnations of the same man converse, argue, and weight the choices and mistakes he has made. Against the backdrop of a journey through a barren landscape, 153 is both unencumbered and universal in its message, even as Martin finds telling details to delineate the specifics of this particular life. A recent online production by Winding Road Theatre Ensemble incorporated stark visuals and memorable music to underscore Martin’s thought-provoking vision.

Even grief has comic possibilities. Luke disguises his heartache and resentment with sharp rejoinders (and a bit of gardening), but he is thrown for a loop when guileless young Jared turns up with an unexpected connection to the past. Williams mines this clever set-up for all it is worth, subtly revealing the source of Luke’s sadness and Jared’s own dignified reasons for needing to sell his soul. The ending is beautifully orchestrated: surprising, endearing, and with a glimmer of hope.

This masterfully crafted short play beautifully captures the reality of dementia from both sides—the person sinking into memory loss and the still cognizant loved one, both losing their cherished connections to the past. The dialogue between an aging father and the son he no longer recognizes is poignant and wryly ironic, revealing how there is always more to learn about ourselves and the ones we love and think we know. The final line is perfect—two simple words, larded with so much meaning. LeBlanc has written something special here.