Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Audiences loved this play when it was performed at my local community theater. First, the visual of a live actor playing Zoltan, an arcade fortune teller, is hilarious. Second, Zoltan's quips at the start of the play to zing the characters' flaws are very funny. But boy, does the tone change at the end. I felt myself move from laughing to feeling bad about the awkward truths about Charlie and Rebecca.

Funny on so many levels. :) Yes, Adam Richter is taking a shot at "Moby-Dick," but I love the ending that takes a jab at commercialism.

In this sharp satire, Daniel Prillaman takes dead-eye aim at people who use AI to the detriment of human creators. (Note: Prillaman attacks only the people who misuse AI, not AI itself -- an intelligent subtlety that I find in Prillaman plays.)

"I'm Gonna Need You to Log off for Me" is also quite funny, from Moxi's personal realizations and character arc to the jaw-dropping name of one of its characters. Come for the bloodbath, stay for the humor.

A sweet, breezy, and funny coming-out tale. Anthony Dodge's short comedy is another example of straight women friends knowing more than gay men give them credit for. It's perfect for an LGBTQIA Pride-themed festival.

"Breakwater" shows so much complexity in such a short amount of time thanks to Robert J. LeBlanc's skills. His characters Monty and Mattie are so specific, as are their shared history and real-time conflict. And I love the emotions that are at cross-purposes with one another, creating a lot of tension: fear and concern against love an affection.

"The Charlatans" is a terrifically executed ghost story. Stephen Graff creates genuine chills that actors and designers will love to bring to life.

I love how this one-act play is about more than its immediate conflict. Boyle has told a story about war across all times and locations, and "Another Part of the Field" is more powerful because of it.

This short monologue is both historical and philosophical. "How I Joined the Navy" led me to read about Guadalcanal and Alligator River, and the setting and timing of this play is absolutely essential to the story.

Even more so, I appreciate the young U.S. Navy Corpsman's take on his story. Try to control life as much as you want, but there are forces beyond human control that push us around.

"The Good Dybbuk" is a wonderful intergenerational short play between grandson and grandfather. There are rich, complex emotions for both Asher and Zayde, and I love the upbeat feelings David Lipschutz creates.

This is an excellent "first-date-goes-horribly-wrong" comedy. I love the characters David Lipschutz has created and all the mayhem Ezra's family brings.

Lipschutz deserves a ton of credit for making the best use of the virtual Zoom format, too. There are on-camera visual hijinks and excellent use of the chat and emoji features. "G'oy Vey!" may be the best Zoom-specific play I've read. And now I need to see it performed.