Recommended by Bruce Karp

This play begins sweetly, even a bit comically, yet packs a powerful punch and reminder that life can be shattered in minutes. Mr. Dzubak subtly builds emotional power into a very moving and apt conclusion in just a small number of pages. Audiences will be moved and frankly, members of Congress and state legislatures should read works such as this, so that they understand the importance of doing something to quell the rate of violence in the country.

Anyone who has ever been in a situation such as Miriam's will appreciate this subversive short comedy by Ms. Curry. The surprise twist at the end is priceless. She is able to say so much in just five minutes, and this play should be a hit for any short play festival.

A lovely and ultimately powerful story of a caring teacher working to save a talented student burdened by family failures. A terrific twist and O'Neill -Butler's signature crisp and relatable dialogue make this worth reading and producing.

Busser's take on managing he-who-shall-not-be-named, is absolutely spot-on and hilarious. Many of us writers have probably tried to satirize the Republicans' madness, but Busser has found the perfect defining aspect of every character (and no doubts about who they are) and turned it into theatrical magic. It may not play in Peoria, but it will play in any theater that is willing to produce comic anarchy.

Richter expertly captures the obsessive nature of social media in this short, sharp play. It moves quickly, and says a lot about people's need to be heard and accepted, no matter whether or not people want to know what you think. Well-suited for short play festivals looking at today's world.

I absolutely loved the premise of this play. Heartfelt, well-conceived with three highly relatable characters, and a payoff that will bring tears to the readers' eyes and the audiences' eyes, too. Well done.

This is a sweet play about bridging the generation gap. Young Cassie and her Gram come to realize that they're not so different and, that there's life in Gram yet, while for Cassie, the best is yet to come if she just tries to grab the brass ring. Marj O'Neill-Butler's characters are always relatable, the dialogue is sharp and believable and this is an excellent play for a ten-minute festival.

I've been fortunate to have watched this play develop and grow and it's truly an original idea, now fully and beautifully executed. The short version has been an award winner and I'm certain the longer version will reap many rewards, too. Ms. Curry has created memorable characters, humor in a story with an underlying seriousness, and unexpected treasures throughout. Please read it, enjoy it, and, if you have any influence in getting it produced, please use it!

I enjoyed reading John Busser's sweet and humorous story about a funeral! There, I said it. His characters are marvelously drawn, believable and I could identify with them, from a similar family experience. The segment about Aunt Peg is hilarious (I won't give it away), and the ending ties things up in a nice bow. Busser is really quite good at creating fully rounded short stories. Hope this gets produced.

This is a tautly written, tension-filled play that has a satisfying ending which I will not spoil here. Mr. Taube's buildup had me wanting to read more. Unfortunately, I think the differences between the two characters have become all too clear to us. It's a warning to all of us. I highly recommend reading this play and hope it gets produced.