Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Dendinger has written a play that is difficult to read and I imagine more difficult to watch. But in things that are difficult, there can still be insight.

Do I like Laurel, the main character, or have sympathy for her? No. Could I forgive her for the pain she has brought others for the sake of being evocative? No. But Dendinger's play allows insight into this character whose world view is evolving. I understand Laurel better, and sometimes empathy is enough.

Striving to be useful, searching for purpose, hoping for recognition, understanding the end will come. Through O'Neill's skill, audience members will empathize with and see themselves reflected in two robots surveying a small, red planet.

Some people can be strong after their lives have been touched by tragedy. Some can't. Vovos' short drama "Chuck's Mom" shows us an angry, sad, mourning woman. We think we know where the story is going, but Vovos' skill at storytelling and his humane empathy leads us places we never expected to go, but feel right in the end.

"Chuck's Mom" and Vovos' "How to Be a Respectable Junkie" are companion pieces. Alone, they are formidable theatre. Together, they are unforgettable and they leave their mark. Produce them.

I enjoyed two productions of "Playdate," both of which audiences adored. Haan creates fully fledged characters that comic actors will love to portray. There's plenty of action and an ending that will leave the audience laughing out loud.

Vovos presents Absurdity as Romance in "Bloody Mary." As with a lot of good absurd plays, Vovos creates a feeling of something nightmarish just under the facade of polite, everyday life: people in dire need are ignored, little old ladies are mean, and the letter of the law is preposterously upheld.

Even the romance between Mary and Joe is harrowing and bloody, but there's genuine sweetness and connection, too. Give credit to Vovos for making the audience cheer for this pair even as the world goes awry.

Within the first three lines of dialogue, Carnes escalates the tension and stakes to the max. This short play is unsettling. This short play is nerve-wracking.

Rinkel has written a tart comedy that targets the hierarchy of the art world: those who create are at the mercy of those who promote, and those who promote are at the mercy of those who purchase. "Just One" creates a world of rules and power that three well-observed characters navigate, each believing they are in charge.

If ever there were an epic 1-minute play, this may be it. Pithy, witty, and self-aware, "The Longest Opera Ever Written in Just One Minute" is a comic winner. A side benefit: It'll make Saturday matinee broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera that much more enjoyable. Well done, Rinkel!

I enjoyed a production of "Replay" at Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette's 10-Minute Play Festival in 2018. At the start, Dietsche provides just enough information to pique an audience's interest in the setting, the characters, and their relationship. Slowly, as more details provide answers to the former questions, the audience's interest will be piqued about how the characters will move forward. "Replay" is a charming, understated play.

I enjoyed a production of "Vintages" at the Academy Theatre in Hapeville, Georgia, during its 2019 short play festival, Tapas IV: The Great Divide. Whitehorn sensitively writes about aging, self-worth, and self-acceptance in this short drama. It's biting, sad, funny, and very honest.