Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Biblical backstory, wordplay and wit, and some genuine touching emotion and insight. "The Prodigal Cow" is a lot of fun to read. And from its robust production history, clearly fun to produce, perform, and watch. Bravo, Mark Harvey Levine.

... with an emphasis on "Craze." The one-minute plays in Richter's anthology are snapshots of competitiveness, obsession, and the overwhelming omnipresence and overhyped "importance" of fads. There's wit, satire, and even sweet symbolism.

"Hold My Hand" is shudder-inducing horror in less than 60 seconds.

So funny, so full of glee, cake, twists, and turns. Monica Cross has written a wonderful, short, dark comedy.

Five harrowing minutes really do last forever, including their impact on two girls' lives. What Allie and Samantha lived through and the aftermath aren't normal and shouldn't be normalized. Brava to Hageman for this clear-eyed drama.

What I love about "What's on the Menu?" is that, I think, audiences will feel closer to one or the other characters depending on their own age and how they age. I'm sure when I was younger, I'd feel completely aligned with the Son and laugh at Dad for being pitiful. But now, I can understand Dad's shyness, his inability to speak openly about emotional matters. And I'd love to slap the Son for being a supercilious ass. And I'm glad both characters finally come together.

And all of that is the result of Cam Eickmeyer's good writing.

Daniel Prillaman makes an audience want to know more in "Heartburn" even though we know shouldn't. But it's not just anticipation that drives this horror story. The mirrored dialogue at the climax and resolution still have me shuddering. A terrific, tense short play.

The situation in "Second Thoughts" is jarring, the revelations are cringe-inducing, and Robert J. LeBlanc's writing skill makes me feel more empathy for the person giving the advice than the person who needs. This is a very funny play that is just different enough to put an audience on edge.

"Familiar" is a memorable short play that beautifully establishes dramatic irony to reach an audience's emotions. I feel such strong empathy for Jon, the son, in this father-and-son play. The restraint he shows is necessary, but it doesn't make it any less painful. And because of Robert J. LeBlanc's skills, an audience will recognize and understand the choices for Jon's restraint in "Familiar."

Twists are passé when they're used to conclude a plot, full stop. But Scott Sickles creates a moment in this two-minute monologue that shines a light on character and lifts Gris's story to its next stage.

And it's no coincidence that gestalt plays a key theme in this play. It's not until the audience sees the entirety of Gris's character, when we recognize new depths of connection, that we can appreciate "The Geometry of You." Scott Sickles has written a wonderful dramatic monologue.