Recommended by Steven G. Martin

Julie D'Aubigny may be one of the most appealing capital-C Characters ever: ever-confident, supremely skilled, quick-witted, and ruled by many passions. Even in the 21st century, she would have made quite the joyful spectacle.

Monica Cross does D'Aubigny's tale justice by creating a play that may be as brisk, theatrical, and wry as the protagonist herself. I look forward very much to the further development of "... Julie D'Aubigny/finds true love."

Nabra Nelson has written a fun, brisk, comic play that nicely twists the tale of The Fall in Genesis. It'd be fun to watch "Creation Gossip" in production.

Credit August Forman and their skill in creating sheer, unadulterated joy in this short comedy. It's easy to see why "A Lesbian Walks into a Bar" already has multiple productions.

There are a lot of opportunities for over-the-top reactions -- some of the action and visuals Forman include had me laughing like a maniac with glee. And it's wonderful to see a character put herself out there for romance.

I love how Peter Dakutis shows two different portraits of The Individual in "Big, Beautiful, Terrifying," a one-minute dash of social satire.

Watching this play almost could serve as a personality test -- you either laugh at the Romantic imagery in Whitman's poems or you cringe at intrusion of technology. Brief and insightful.

"Kansas" is a portrait of genuine sisterly love and care. Haas leaves an audience to imagine the backstory and character history that lead to such a desperate need to escape. But ultimately, this is a story of care, protection, and a bit of fantasy come true.

Come for the family wackiness in this short holiday comedy, but stay for the heart.

Families can turn playful during Christmas, and I was comically shocked by quite a lot of the dialogue. But what really spoke to me is the reason behind the playfulness. I have a feeling it will resonate with a lot of people who have seen more than a few Christmases.

Uplifting, wry, and funny as hell.

Brodie's comic one-act had me smiling from the start, not only because of its premise but because the characters are active in going for what they want. And that feels so good -- breaking through barriers and boundaries. An audience is going to love "Archetypes in Rehab" for many reasons.

Watching "Shoelaces" made me very uncomfortable, as Speckman skillfully leads an audience to question what scenarios/games are being played and what character motivations are. Is it possibly a Rorschach test -- what you perceive speaks to who you are? Upsetting and disorienting in the best way possible.

Rich in detail -- the world building, the insight into music and musicality, the history between the protagonist Terry and the person Terry speaks to. Rich in emotions -- both expressed and suppressed. Visually spare yet with a wonderful on-stage image at the end. "Partita" would be a standout performance wherever it would be staged, even an immersive location.

Jessi Green's performance of "Forgive Me Cosmo, For I Have Sinned" for Talking Horse Productions put a spotlight on how wonderfully Ruben Carbajal has structured this monologue created from found items. While this monologue is very funny, it also makes a person cringe at messages women receive from media.