Recommended by Steven G. Martin

A sensational read. I can only imagine this short play would also be sensational in production, too, as it would be so much fun for directors, actors, and audiences.

Hirsch reaches sky-high levels in developing character (not just one, but four!), utilizing visuals and action, and creating life-altering consequences in "A small breach in protocol at Big Rick's Rockin' Skydive Academy."

Cross humanizes Edward and Richard and makes them more than just historic figures. They're princes, yes, but they're brothers and youngsters even more so: squabbling, affectionate, juvenile. And because of Cross's skill in making them people rather than symbols or saints, the dramatic irony is all the more painful.

My God. Sickles shows empathy in abundance for all of his characters, and he's reached another high point with this 5-minute play. His imagination and perspective, layers and levels of "Notes Over an Undercast Sky" are so far-reaching that the tiniest of actions has world-shattering consequences. A first viewing would be powerful, a second would be an even richer experience.

Sickles writes about missed connections, a smidgen of hurt, passable civility, and lessons learned in this minute-long play. Does a taste of the bitter make the sweet things sweeter?

Abley's short play has a lot going for it, including the rapid-fire, constant crescendo of vicious things that happen to its hero. Mayfly doesn't get a moment's peace as others assault, accuse, shame, berate, and attack him without mercy before he even gets his bearings.

Another thing going for "Horrible: The Mayfly's Life" is the hero's constancy -- the innocence he maintains throughout all the bad things that happen. Abley raises this short play beyond cruel and literal slapstick to one with a philosophical, albeit very dark, perspective.

This is a delightful comic morsel. Turner writes the story of Penelope and her admirer so that the audience won't know where it ends up until the final line.

Haigney creates a nightmarish "What if?" scenario presented as a news broadcast. Every line of dialogue is a death knell ("This." "Is." "Our." "Fate.").

I enjoyed a production of "aMUSEd" at the 2019 IndyFringe Fest. Jacobs' script has a high-concept premise -- an ancient Greek muse is actively inspiring mortals in contemporary times -- but it's grounded by the notion that it's difficult for anyone to accept loss and move on. This is a warm comedy, a feel-good drama.

There is no middle ground or gray area when it comes to the over-prescription of opioid painkillers. There is obvious right and obvious wrong, and McClain batters those in the wrong (pharmaceuticals, overbearing medical professionals, the tepid media) through a series of Ridiculous actions and ironies.

"What Are You So Afraid Of?" is a savage indictment and a necessary one. I love it. I also hope it becomes obsolete and unnecessary as a result of the end of the epidemic.

This script is mesmerizing. Spotswood takes an internalized, figurative situation -- the mental examination of a relationship's ups and downs after its end -- and makes it literal and external. It's a brilliant choice because Maggie's actions are perfectly suited to who she is, a doctor-researcher. It's an even better play because of all the emotions Spotswood ties in with the very relatable situation: heartache, loss, anger, doubt.