Recommended by Bruce Karp

So a playwright, possibly named after a comedian (Mr. Amsterdam), writes a touching and funny play about two comedians, uh, comics, with a surprising and moving twist. Go figure! There are some great lines and a fine buildup to a very theatrical finish. Well done, and this should find some legs on the short play circuit.

Max has an "it seemed like a good idea at the time" problem that goes very badly. Or, does it? Mr. Donnelly has created a realistic and funny story that's entirely plausible. How many times have we seen viral videos where guys propose and it always ends well. This time it doesn't. The video is still viral, but it could still turn out differently for Max, if he'd just come out from under the covers. Well done!

This is as original an idea as it gets. Ms. Sansone Braff has devised a wonderfully thought out, if a bit macabre, method for helping an old schoolmate choose a way to die. Creepy? A little, but you'll find yourself chuckling (nervously) as you read how the story plays out. And this was inspired by a dream! Well done and would be a great addition to a short play festival.

I enjoyed the trip down telephone memory lane. The premise is clever, and it might also get current generations thinking about how far we've come with basic technology. (Did you ever think you'd be taking photos with your phone?) Mr. Martineau's characters are funny, relatable and hilariously named...and, apparently, we might see baby births sponsored by large corporations in the future. Hmmm...this is a play that would be fun to see on stage.

Mr. Plumridge's play pokes fun at the "Shark Tank"-like programs on TV, where entrepreneurs hope to cash in on ideas that are often wacky or at least, untenable. His characters have their own original voices and a good deal of activity takes place for a short play. I enjoyed the ending and won't spoil it here, but a warning - be careful if you try out those virtual eyeglasses - it could be a bit challenging.

Rinkel has created two finely defined young characters in this delightful and heartwarming tale of acceptance and proper grammar. (Clever use of the grammar issue, I must say.) Having been in young Drew's situation, but without the enjoyable results, I found myself getting emotional and wishing this could have happened to me, many years ago. Well-written and sweet, this should be a big hit at LGBTQIA+ play festivals.

Warning to those of you expecting to be alive in 2099 - alcohol will be banned on Earth with all remnants blasted into space. Ms. Feeny-Williams proposes that this could actually happen, with no one attempting to restore alcohol sanity for 3,000 years! Yet, once scientists find remnants on an unspecified planet in 4937, chaos hilariously ensues in this unexpectedly zany comic piece. Read it and have a good laugh, and maybe sip an alcoholic beverage - while you still can.

Robert Weibezahl has written a monologue filled with splendid imagery and heart, about a woman's recollections of her favorite uncle, the wonderful possession of his that she inherited upon his passing, and what it means to her, years later. The memories and observations are touching and so well-written. Well done and should be read and produced.

Wow, you see the names Abbott and Costello and you think, this is going to be fun. It's not. But it is a tense and compelling story of two abused sons, who deal with the abuser (their father) the only way they know how. I won't give away what comes next, but it is disturbing, and apt. Crisp writing, well crafted.

It's really difficult to read Arianna Rose's play without thinking that this is something that could happen to those who don't fit a certain category. We seem to be heading in that direction. To say this is a cautionary tale is perhaps an understatement, but this is a scary and tautly written play that will certainly make you think and needs to be seen.