Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Cinthya Hernandez nails the tone, tempo, and emotion in this short comic monologue about food and flavor, passion and restraint, and relationships. I'd love to see "Animal" in performance with an actress who plays those levels.

Empathy and the desire to do good for others glow in this one-act drama. Figuratively, alongside the literal glow and other wondrous visuals John Busser incorporates into this story that touches themes of faith, friendship, and servant leadership. Beautiful script.

The Wexelford Murder is packed with situational, character, visual, and wordplay humor. It's a loving parody that plays with the conventions of murder mysteries concluding with grand reveals in a drawing room and spoofs how we think property-owning British gentry behave. There are six well-crafted character types that run to extremes, each so clear. And there are a lot of visuals, a lot of action packed into such a short play -- no talking heads for you! I look forward to seeing this performed.

Audiences will gasp then guffaw at this onyx-black comedy that nods to pop culture. And I love the dramatic irony; audiences will understand what's happening before Monica, the main character. Terrific, brief, with a very satisfying button.

"The Diary of Maria" is a reminder that empathy is not action, that hope and theory are not certainty and reality. Give Dave Hubert a lot of credit for letting the story unfold, letting character reveal itself, and leaving an audience -- or at least me -- feeling deflated and discouraged, but also uncomfortable with thoughts of "What would I do?" A terrific drama.

"P, B, & Jane" is tough, dark, intense, and unflinching. It is deeply theatrical and deeply psychological in showing Jane remembering trauma and juxtaposing it with the silliness of performing improv comedy. There is such friction between the two that it would have been unbearable if not for Ava Love Hanna's deft skill.

This comic one-act is a fun, funny, and loving spoof that everyone will love, including fans of Star Trek and sci-fi conventions. There are wordplay jokes, character jokes, situational jokes, and visual and audio jokes galore. Bondi keeps the conflict running and the stakes high throughout. And I love the ending line that sounds like it's delivered by Groucho Marx during a vaudeville act. "In the Spotlight: a Star Trek Story" is great fun to read.

This monologue has all the right tensions that appeal to me. Amanda finds herself in emotionally wrought circumstances of deep tragedy, but she moves with care and precision and thoughtfulness while handling them. That creates such friction and I love it. There's beautiful imagery in some of her words that contradict the utilitarian visuals of her outfit, her tools. Again: friction that I love. "Scrubbed" feels cool, analytical, precise in a world of such emotional and physical mess. I love it.

You can't ignore "The Talking Point." This satire slices through layers of hypocritical political party line B.S. but it's weirdly playful and theatrical with its repetition and sound effects. It's gloriously obvious with its nonfiction but also subtle with its insight into character. It made me angry but not despondent. And it's entertaining, I'd love to attend a staged reading or production. Thank you Mathew Green.

Debra A. Cole is putting Jessie, her main character, through the wringer in this one-minute comedy, making everything worse by the line. "Threesome" is a comedy, it's a horror, it's a well-executed concept that audiences will love.