Recommended by Mark Harvey Levine

A normal event turned into a heartbreaking and touching scene by Robert Weibezahl. I got to see this at Madlab's Theatre Roulette 2023 and it was incredibly effective. The character of Courtney added some much needed humor, but this play is still devastating.

Greg Lam deftly dances between the sweetness of this funny concept (Taylor, an adult, still believes in Santa) and the inherent greed of the season, which keeps the play from being too saccharine. I got to see a production of this at Madlab Theatre Roulette and it was really funny. We share Alyssa's disbelief -- but it's also heartwarming to see her not try to burst Taylor's bubble even as she finds out how expensive this bubble is going to be.

An emotional rollercoaster! Incredible. Touching and terrifying. Grabs you from the first moments and then DOESN'T LET GO for over 20 gripping pages. This is a master class in how you keep tension going. Just harrowing.

A great lights-up moment, with two people standing there soaking wet. And then we get a lovely rumination on fairy-tale endings, and what they would really be like. A great, realistic look at a ridiculous situation. I saw a very good production of this at Madlab's Theatre Roulette in 2023.

I've seen lots of very funny comedies by Christopher Lockheardt, but this play shows him a master of dramatic short plays as well. I could feel the pain (physical and emotional) of these two women. I could feel the cold (actual and metaphorical) of the night. Who doesn't want to go home? But what if home isn't really your home any more?

One of the best "lights up" moments I've seen in a ten-minute play. I got to see this at Madlab's Theatre Roulette, and we were laughing before anybody said a word. But I lost it when there was a knock at the door and a plaintive voice cried out "Mommy?". Bondage and awkwardness have never been so hysterical. It was one of the highlights of the festival.

The beginning -- and the rebeginning (maybe?) of a relationship that starts in a grocery store. Lots of very funny moments (one character tries to buy seemingly one of every type of alcohol), and also funny/sweet moments, as the sister browbeats a relationship back into existence. Touching and all too real, and set in the aisle of a supermarket!

I love the title, and I love plays that take familiar tales and turn them on their head. I got to see this at Madlab Theatre Roulette 2023, where it got lots of laughs. My favorite line is when the Little Pig describes her smokey flavor. I also loved the Little Red Riding Hood character, who is not as sweet and innocent as she is usually portrayed. I'm a big fan of Ava Love Hanna (and roasted pig meat) so I enjoyed this play immensely.

I love plays with smart characters, and this little gem is packed with them. Marj O'Neill-Butler takes the simple story of an adult daughter trying to get her elderly mother a caregiver and turns it on its head. The mother is no fool -- she's sharp as a tack, and almost convinces us she needs no help at all. But the character of the caregiver Michael is a joy to watch. He parries expertly with the Mom, until she realizes that she enjoys the sparring. And so do the lucky ones who watch this play.

A tender play about two lonely people finding each other. This is a play about two people falling in love -- but not romantic love. Just two human beings recognizing something in the other. I liked how the young man is revealed to be neurodiverse without calling attention to it. The ending is proper -- tantalizing, yet that's how it should end. A gentle, sweet, touching play.