Recommended by Steven G. Martin

I love Sheila Cowley's plays because she puts humane characters in the path of Big Ideas: Love, Survival, and -- in "Hue and Saturation" -- Art.

What I especially love about this play -- and there is a lot to love in this 10-minute sci-fi comedy -- is Robin's subtle interaction with Ripley at the end. My jaw dropped as Cowley shows the audience why, perhaps, these characters have completely opposite points of view.

Generous, humane, personal and epic. "Hue and Saturation" is wonderful.

Claudia Haas has written a fun, brisk, bantering, silly and pun-filled play, which is terrific. Also terrific: these siblings support one another and their interests, although there is some good-natured kidding. It's sweet.

I think costumers will enjoy "The States Collection - Delaware," too.

The suspense in "Jokes About Ted Bundy" ratchets up quickly from mere cringe-worthy nervousness about dating.

Even when an audience starts to understand what is happening -- that wonderful delicious theatrical irony -- they will still be surprised by the level of viciousness, physical torture and callousness in Gabriella Bonamici's 10-minute play.

Jane, the protagonist in this one-minute monologue, can't lie to herself. "And I know who I am" is chilling.

But it's not enough for the outstanding Emily Hageman to succinctly and achingly show how Jane thinks of herself. Hageman pushes through to the very end to show why Jane feels like she does in "You Ever Wish." It's a triple whammy for the audience: they understand Jane's current state and her history, and also will fear for Jane's kid's future.

This is one minute of direct, dark theatre. Produce it.

I love the details of Ryan's life shared in the first part of this short monologue: Living in Milwaukee, misadventures in Germany, using Accutane and its effects. Ryan's life feels so precise, so lived in.

Which makes the climax and conclusion much more powerful. We know Ryan has the abilities to describe the details of what happened, but he just doesn't know them.

The result was that I felt a lot of empathy for Ryan and I realized that sometimes there are powers greater than ourselves that might step in when we are at our lowest.

Harrowing but fine writing.

Kara Emily Krantz beautifully structures this short dramatic monologue so the audience knows threads of truth throughout: the protagonist's joy of being home alone and the love for a younger sibling, and the harsh words shared between siblings.

Those threads aren't connected until the final beat. Audiences may feel unsure about the complete story until then, but the final beat locks everything in place through implication. And fully understanding the story will cause gasps and make tears flow.

"For Mommy on Her Return Home: a monologue" is excellent storytelling.

In this one-act play about two pigs, Taylor Sklenar shows what it means to be human.

How existence can seem finite and trivial. How we change as we age. How we're different when there's someone in our life who cares about us instead of being completely alone. How we can give in, or (ultimately) refuse to.

Sklenar doesn't flinch in "500/501," either. This isn't philosophy for these characters. Life isn't like a slaughterhouse for these characters, it genuinely is. And because the audience understands that at once, this play impacts us even more. Produce this.

I like how Cary Simowitz fills this 10-minute drama with complexity: of white privilege and the realization of the effects of that privilege, of economic and social discrepancies and how those discrepancies affect relationships, of the awkwardness of facing these subjects and their devious impact.

"The Bee That Declared a War" will be an uncomfortable play for audiences, for white, affluent audiences especially. It is also a play that deserves a rich production history.

I love that DC Cathro and Leo Schwartz show how two people can be right for one another for a certain period of time, for a set of specific circumstances. And it's ok to love and cherish that person for that time, and then move forward. There's plenty of comedy, toe-tapping music, some sexiness, and emotion to enjoy.

I love how Dominica Plummer examines the current situation in the U.K. created by Brexit, the covid pandemic, and conservative leadership. She then expands upon it and extrapolates it for great satiric effect. I hope Dominica will have future episodes of Sophy's adventures in this strange land.