Recommended by Steven G. Martin

  • Steven G. Martin: Gluttony & Lust Are Friends by Matthew Weaver
    “

    Everyone -- Deadly Sin and Cardinal Virtue included -- has their tipping point. It can feel that day-to-day existence has become a never-ending, tedious rut. Bravo to Weaver to carrying this theme to mythological proportions in this comedy.

    Everyone -- Deadly Sin and Cardinal Virtue included -- has their tipping point. It can feel that day-to-day existence has become a never-ending, tedious rut. Bravo to Weaver to carrying this theme to mythological proportions in this comedy.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: Everlasting Chocolate Therapy by Steven Hayet
    “

    Hayet clearly loves and respects Roald Dahl's classic story, and this comedic full-length play is a wonderful nod to the original.

    Like Dahl, Hayet includes fantasy, silly humor and casual cruelty. Hayet also dramatizes life lessons, but the characters in this play sort things out for themselves and become more self-aware, rather than having lessons forced upon them.

    Also, it's a very funny script.

    Hayet clearly loves and respects Roald Dahl's classic story, and this comedic full-length play is a wonderful nod to the original.

    Like Dahl, Hayet includes fantasy, silly humor and casual cruelty. Hayet also dramatizes life lessons, but the characters in this play sort things out for themselves and become more self-aware, rather than having lessons forced upon them.

    Also, it's a very funny script.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: BBQ (a one-minute play) by Matthew Weaver
    “

    This is robust storytelling that uses minimal dialogue and trusts the audience to infer details. Weaver defines the brothers through their actions -- and there is quite a lot happening in this 1-minute play -- and then unlocks the backstory and the emotion with a single line of dialogue.

    This is robust storytelling that uses minimal dialogue and trusts the audience to infer details. Weaver defines the brothers through their actions -- and there is quite a lot happening in this 1-minute play -- and then unlocks the backstory and the emotion with a single line of dialogue.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: One Minute Complaint by Greg Lam
    “

    A perfect one-minute amusement: some snark and bite coupled with an insider's lament about submitting plays. The irony of seeing this performed in a festival would be irresistible.

    A perfect one-minute amusement: some snark and bite coupled with an insider's lament about submitting plays. The irony of seeing this performed in a festival would be irresistible.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: The Vegetarian and Her Dead Daddy by Megan Tabaque
    “

    Tabaque shows the riotously funny and quietly somber sides of anger in this short play. Annie is loud, mean, and ridiculous when confronting the corporate fast food syndicate and her no-good friends who don't support her. But she's also angry at the losses in her life and at being overlooked. Funny, theatrical, personal stuff here. A terrific character.

    Tabaque shows the riotously funny and quietly somber sides of anger in this short play. Annie is loud, mean, and ridiculous when confronting the corporate fast food syndicate and her no-good friends who don't support her. But she's also angry at the losses in her life and at being overlooked. Funny, theatrical, personal stuff here. A terrific character.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: Wikipedia Jones Takes The Case by Rob Matsushita
    “

    Great fun. This short play spoofs the "Encyclopedia Brown" mysteries, sure, but it also contrasts eras well. (Spoiler: the new millennium seems a lot grittier than the 1960s.)

    Great fun. This short play spoofs the "Encyclopedia Brown" mysteries, sure, but it also contrasts eras well. (Spoiler: the new millennium seems a lot grittier than the 1960s.)

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: Moon in a Barrel by Rand Higbee
    “

    Higbee's charming folktale will delight adults and children alike. It's a very stylized script: the foundation is its storybook logic, the characters are well cast in the "fool" mode of classic tales, and the comedy is punctuated with physical humor.

    Higbee's charming folktale will delight adults and children alike. It's a very stylized script: the foundation is its storybook logic, the characters are well cast in the "fool" mode of classic tales, and the comedy is punctuated with physical humor.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: The Button Pushers (with Apologies to Richard Matheson) by Ruben Carbajal
    “

    Do everyday people care even a smidgen about moral complexities? Are we just self-centered, selfish automatons who can't imagine the impact of our actions on others? Has "NO WHAMMIES!" become the battle cry of chai-drinking, dead-eyed, pop-culture-suffocated suburbanites who are more receptive to conditioning than Pavlov's dogs?

    Read Ruben Carbajal's terrific short play, produce it. It is funny as hell, ridiculous and slap-sticky, yes, but also sharp and pointed.

    Do everyday people care even a smidgen about moral complexities? Are we just self-centered, selfish automatons who can't imagine the impact of our actions on others? Has "NO WHAMMIES!" become the battle cry of chai-drinking, dead-eyed, pop-culture-suffocated suburbanites who are more receptive to conditioning than Pavlov's dogs?

    Read Ruben Carbajal's terrific short play, produce it. It is funny as hell, ridiculous and slap-sticky, yes, but also sharp and pointed.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: Role-play by Tony Pelham
    “

    Pelham's terrific plot will make audiences reexamine their perspective about the actions and characters in this short play several times. Questions about identity and the given situation build and grow throughout, but Pelham's skill at building worlds and defining characters and stakes will keep an audience well-oriented as secrets are revealed. Beautifully written science fiction.

    Pelham's terrific plot will make audiences reexamine their perspective about the actions and characters in this short play several times. Questions about identity and the given situation build and grow throughout, but Pelham's skill at building worlds and defining characters and stakes will keep an audience well-oriented as secrets are revealed. Beautifully written science fiction.

    ”
  • Steven G. Martin: I Hate This (a play without the baby) by David Hansen
    “

    Applaud Hansen (rightfully so) for the structure, the dialogue, and the theatricality of "I Hate This (A Play Without the Baby)", but it's the range of emotions that leave the lasting impact.

    We watch David, the character, struggle to navigate and re-orient himself as he understands there are no rules -- range of emotions, people's responses, length of time -- to grieving. It's a humane play.

    Applaud Hansen (rightfully so) for the structure, the dialogue, and the theatricality of "I Hate This (A Play Without the Baby)", but it's the range of emotions that leave the lasting impact.

    We watch David, the character, struggle to navigate and re-orient himself as he understands there are no rules -- range of emotions, people's responses, length of time -- to grieving. It's a humane play.

    ”