Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Funny situation and visuals and audiences, yes. Genuinely warm-hearted tone and extremely likable characters, yes. All of that. But what drives Bray's "Erstwhile" is the need, the desire these characters have for change, something different in a BIG way. And there's a holiday kindness to this play that aligns with what I like.

Ava Love Hanna endows this farcical murder mystery with enough twists, turns, revelations, character quirks, and physical comedy to tickle all audiences. The tempo is crackling fast and the characters are charged to 100% capacity. I'm glad "It's Not What It Looks Like" is being produced world wide and I'd love to see it in performance live.

I love that Lisa Attanasio has made me care about Alex, even made me see reflections of myself in the character. And the tension of "The Look of Love" is released beautifully. I'm glad this play is being produced and I hope I'll have a chance to watch or perhaps direct a production.

Sara Freedman has written a beautiful play with a perfect Thanksgiving setting. Intergenerational connection among strangers, threads of gratitude, generosity, altruism, and noticing/understanding others. I'm glad to see "Crowbar" already is being produced and I hope it receives more productions.

Yes, you'll shed tears at this beautifully written, understated play. I love how Debra A. Cole trusts her audiences to infer character emotions, backstory, and more. And I also love how Fran and Steven show sure care and grace toward Frannie and Stevie.

Character defamation and assassination to the Nth degree with a smattering of self-deprecation. And I am all for it. No one writes comedies like Busser and this one had me cackling from the start. "Erstwhile" captures individual voices and community bonds so well, too.

A little jaded, salty, and -- at the end -- nasty. This crisp satire bites at the heels of privilege among audiences and flips the finger at theaters with an obsession for world premieres in short play fests.

Paul Braverman has written a high-concept comedy that brings elements of religion, science, family, and love ... with a story about two condors. And it works and it's touching and it's funny and it's slightly cringe-worthy (if I never read the word "cloaca" again ...). Marvelous comedy that audiences will enjoy.

Horror done VERY well. "Cage Fright" plays like a nightmare: a claustrophobic and isolated setting, imagery and action and props that say what the dialogue can't. Audiences will be terrified. Bravo, Evan Baughfman.

I love Josh Gauthier's short play of calm, even civilized defiance set during a totalitarian regime. The characters are extreme opposites of one another, yes, but they're in the midst with extreme circumstances set during an extreme age. "Dead Men's Words" is a bit of a game of cat-and-mouse, and there may be underlying fear and regret, but power here lies with the clear-headed mouse, who may lose but knows for damn sure the cat isn't going to win.