Recommended by Steven G. Martin

I love this play. For all the turbulence and chaos that the Karens of the World whip up, it's the grounding presence of a loving parent that helps us through it all. An affirming, smile-generating play.

Hageman has created a heartfelt, gentle, theatrical, bittersweet moment. There's a sadness that lingers in the air when the story completely unfolds.

She uses 13 words of dialogue and less than a minute of stage time, but Emily Hageman has completely dramatized a moment when a young person's life changes forever. This play will be a crowd pleaser.

I enjoyed a production of "The Last Man" during the 2019 IndyFringe Festival in Indianapolis. It's a strongly plotted one-act with twists, turns, and technical jargon to satisfy fans of science fiction and thrillers. The conflict and suspense are ratcheted up with each scene, and there's no certainty about the outcome until we arrive at the climactic scene itself. Fun & fast-paced.

Speckman has written a shaggy dog story here, literally and figuratively. This direct, and complex, comic monologue is a charming reminder that people who speak without interruption for a long while will share more than even they expected. Spot-on for monologue and comedy festivals, lots of fun for a female actor.

Love's a bitch in this action-filled, high-concept, one-minute play.

I listened to a workshop cold reading of "The Ring Box," which highlighted Josie Gingrich's skill at building characters and atmosphere in a short time. The horror will creep up on readers and audiences, but by the time they catch on, it's too late. The family that slays together, stays together.

Emotionally and erotically charged, the play has plenty of surprises in plot and tone. It doesn't veer where an audience might expect, which is thanks to Cathro's talents.

Mildred Lewis shows us the painful moment when a young woman takes the first step to a slowly, subtly devastated life. The audience knows the future that Brooklyn faces, begs her not to give in to it. The audience will root for all these women who have few prospects and fewer resources, but better understand how they can feel so powerless in their current situation.

What I love about Mildred Lewis' "Roost First, Then Fly" is how the story can be enjoyed in any number of ways. How can this 10-minute play mean so many things to a variety of people? It's the quality of Lewis' writing.

It's a comedy about plucky characters who succeed at an improbable task; it's a critique about contemporary, commercial livestock-raising practices; it's a political and sociological allegory about the downtrodden rising against oppression.

This play deserves an even richer production and awards history.