Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Gina Femia has created an amazing character in school student Imogene. She blasts her rage and anger at full volume when speaking to God, but then opens up briefly to show her sadness and disillusionment. That rage turned to sadness finally expresses itself in pride, in pushing away shame that others try to inflict upon her. There's such truth in Femia's short play.

Recommended for all ten-minute festival opportunities. In "The Heinrich Maneuver," Mark Harvey Levine has created a world that follow its own logic and rules, and then gleefully builds upon them as ridiculously funny revelations are met by even more ridiculously funny revelations. Action, characterization, dialogue ... all are pitch perfect in this fast-paced, zany romp. Very well done.

Recommended for any 10-minute play festival, including those featuring LGBTQ themes. King comically and seriously shows how the newness of a situation can lead to awkward discomfort, even among good people. King also smartly shows how clarity helps them focus on what matters: the kid.

Kids are weird. And Weaver captures a lot of charming, weird kid-ness here: non-sequiturs of the strangest kind, an inability to keep physically still, a reluctance to be the center of attention that is immediately put aside, and a competitive streak centered around the silliest things. Lots of credit to Weaver on conducting research to get the facts right -- you'll learn more about Walla Walla sweet onions than before you started -- but even more credit for creating a wry, charming, winning character.

DC Cathro dramatizes a gentle truth in this short play: we love who we love, and we love when they are happy. We will go to great lengths to make them happy, even if it means feigning an interest in things we don't necessarily like ourselves, including soul-sucking ceramics and football jerseys. "A Precious Moment with Bonnie and Neil" is a reminder that our loved one's happiness just as important as our own. Recommended.

Is there a perfect match out there for everyone? Yes, Neil McGowan says, if a person is willing to expand horizons more than just a little bit. Soulmate, Inc. is a well-structured comedy that nicely builds on the lunacy of its premise. But the comedy is tempered by glass-shard-like reality when our hero is told about what it means to really connect with another person. Cynics will laugh, realists will nod at this funny, deceptively harsh comedy.

Jennifer O'Grady has crafted a nice portrait of friendship that remains strong even during rough times: no plans for Christmas, not much food in the cupboard, no job prospects and even questioning why friends are friends to begin with. Most Wonderful would be a terrific addition to holiday- and Christmas-themed festivals and productions.

As Elizabeth reconsiders what her future holds, she is confronted -- literally -- by her personal history and women's history in this funny, fierce 10-minute play. When we try to live in the present, how much of our past do we discard? Bravo to Rachel Bublitz for ratcheting up the tension and theatricality in an unexpected manner. Three wonderful roles for three generations of women actors.

The title Breakfast for Quartet is apropos as Nicholas Thurkettle composes dialogue for four distinct voices. Themes emerge for each character and then for the larger group as phrases repeat and evolve, and sometimes blend into others. Thurkettle shows that even distinct, diverse characters have commonalities, which could enrich our lives ... if only we would take a moment to listen.

"Ever after" is an awfully long time, and Hayet tweaks the fairy-tale concept of living happily ever after in "Everlasting Chocolate Therapy." Bo and Chuck live a bittersweet reality, forced into circumstances that began when they were 11 years old. But Hayet gives them hope, that even they can try to change their lives.