Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Allegorical, emotional, thoughtful, tender, uplifting. "Tearjerker" is sensational and trusts the audience to catch up to a given situation that is macabre at the very least. I love that Aly Kantor literally puts the power of empathy -- and the costs of using it a lot -- on stage. I also love how Kantor shows that caring for ourselves and our loved ones sometimes has to come ahead of caring for the entire world.

Alicia Ana Hernandez-Roulet has written an over-the-top, jaw-dropping satire with "Captain Murica and the Right Wing Squad." This play is broad, it aims and and hits its targets -- the irony of the demise of the characters is hilarious and apropos. I enjoyed multiple performances during a short play festival in Lafayette, Indiana, and audiences were howling and stunned and uncomfortable throughout.

David Lipschutz and Dana Hall funnily contrast sweet naïveté and cold, harsh truth in this one-minute comedy. Abe's endearing innocence and Shannon's no-nonsense practicality both would be fun to play, direct, and watch.

This one-minute holiday play is great fun from its opening image of a young astronaut in costume to its logic that leads the final line: an iconic, pop-culture moment. David Lipschutz's comedy will bring a smile to all audiences.

Paul Donnelly creates very specific characters and very sad given circumstances in "The Pity Mourner," which would make me cry. But when Donnelly introduces a bit of kindness, options blossom for the reserved and perhaps dour Margaret. It feels that she has made a life-altering decision in this short play. I'd love to read more of her and Archie's story.

This short play is pure comedy: people doing and saying bad things while under pressure. "Fresh Hell" is brisk, cringe-inducing, rude, and nonstop.

Vince Gatton reminds us that after the climax of a tumultuous event, there's still the resolution to navigate. "A Grove, Again" doesn't build false hopes for a happy ending; it's far more humane than that in showing that life is a process. Audiences will enjoy this good, subtle story.

Brian Cern shows outstanding skill in developing the complex characters and backstory in "A Savanna Story." The audience is going to understand these characters and see their similarities, even when they're also vastly different (and may not immediately see the similarities themselves).

I also love that Cern has dramatized a life-changing moment for Abdelkerim and Pete. There are active choices being made in real time, and all of them are weighty. The opening image is fraught with tension, the stakes are clear, and the climax is unexpected and satisfying.

Bruce Walsh's dialogue in "Brambles" is sensational: From rote reactions to beautiful descriptions of bliss and contentment to harsh summaries of the reality of life to pleas for connection and more. It's wonderful dialogue that accentuates characters and the situation and, in the best way, offers more questions than it answers. "Brambles" is sad, but beautiful and lived in.

Hope versus reality. Lucy Wang wears her heart on her sleeve in this sometimes funny, very painful monologue about her relationship with her mother.