Recommended by Steven G. Martin

I enjoyed a production of "Buckle" at the Academy Theatre in Hapeville, Georgia, during its 2019 short play festival, Tapas IV: The Great Divide. Bray has created a terrific contrast of characters in Star and Jen. Bray respects them and their differences -- neither is an archetype, both are flawed and human. And what probably started as a prank ends with a stronger bond formed between these young women.

I enjoyed a production of "Hamlet's Revenge" at the Academy Theatre in Hapeville, Georgia, during its 2019 short play festival, Tapas IV: The Great Divide. Patterson has written a fun parody of Shakespeare with plenty of nods to modern life, dramatic theory, and just plain silliness.

The aftermath of mass shootings is immediate, catastrophic loss. But there is insidious loss, too. Kaplan's short play shows this with its focus on tone, action, and coincidence. Very well written.

Dietsche's short comedy was an audience favorite at Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette's 10-Minute Play Festival, and rightfully so. She places Mildred and Willa in a high-stakes struggle, battling for the collective soul of their town. The situation is strange, but plausible. The characters are slightly ridiculous, but the audience roots for them. Actors and audiences alike will love every minute.

I had the pleasure of attending the world premiere production of this play at Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette's (Indiana) 10-Minute Play Festival in 2019.

As cities and towns die, their history and legends begin to die with them. Martin explores this in "Muskrat's Ducat" by creating a group of friends reminiscing during a reunion. The relationships are spot-on terrific as Martin creates a genuine sense of camaraderie among the five classmates. And the details of the town, its history, and its mythology are sharp.

"Proverbs" is a delightful, clever, short comedy. Latham's self-imposed restrictions on dialogue will capture the audience's attention and lead them to wonder what's coming next. Well done!

Spencer has a wicked eye for detail and earns A's in vocabulary class. Spencer also is not a good winner, which makes all the difference in Wyndham's comic monologue. Spencer boasts, mocks, gloats and lords it over Mom and Dad just like any kid would like to. The specificity of the insults and accusations in this harangue shine.

Plum Luck is a very good play for very young audiences: the goals and conflicts are clear, the cast of characters are varied, there is a lot of physical action and repetition, and there is a strong payoff for all characters. Not only could Plum Luck be performed for young audiences, but young actors could perform it themselves.

Sacks' short play is a marvelous tale about multi-generational conflict and the power of speaking up against those tactless voices in our heads. If only exorcising the living in real life were as entertaining as in this winning comedy.

Murdoch shows how much Maisie and Jennifer contrast one another as mother and daughter -- Maisie is poor, Jennifer is affluent; Maisie meekly seeks connection, Jennifer stridently opposes it. But where "Maisie in the Cold" will affect an audience most is Murdoch's ability to show how much the women are alike.