Recommended by Steven G. Martin

"Aurora" is gorgeously expansive. It's so much more than just its plot.

Ramón Esquivel has created a story and conflict that are immediate and extreme, and the audience will pay attention. But then the dialogue absolutely blooms and there is unexpectedly more to understand and enjoy. And Esquivel covers huge expanses of content: death and dying, life and living, the nature of love and remembering.

"Aurora" contains poetry, action, character arcs, and grand thoughts. This short one-act play will wash over an audience, and it may be too much for a single viewing, but it's glorious.

In a similar vein as the short story "The Lady or the Tiger?" this one-minute play could be a fine test to understand personalities better.

Adam Richter creates two characters who are perfect foils: what one is is exactly what the other isn't. Alpha and omega. "Collector's Item," for me, is about the contrast of Lucius's and Josh's perspectives. And I think audience will either be shocked by the ending or they'll nod in agreement and wonder what all the kerfuffle is about.

Robust buildup, quick-hitting payoff. "Collector's Item" is very good comedy.

A strong, welcome jolt of humor and honesty into what the protagonist otherwise could have turned into a maudlin, saccharine interaction.

Adam Richter nicely sets up this 1-minute play by showing the audience the answer to the question before the question is even asked.

"W.I.T.A.?" should be produced in short play festivals everywhere.

This delightful one-minute comedy will leave audiences laughing.

Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend has twisted a trope from pop culture just enough to enhance the comic possibilities. The protagonist's personality shines in just a few pieces of dialogue, and the end line is a lovely shock (and a bit of comeuppance).

"The People You Meet in Heaven" is comic joy and would be magnificent to produce in a festival of other short plays.

Hilary Bluestein-Lyons creates a story that meanders like a brook, gently traversing through a conversation filled with talk of flowers, career choices, marriage and divorce, Wheel of Fortune, and birthdays. "Tax Day" is a gentle ride, and Bluestein-Lyons' use of structure and repetition imply so much.

A surprisingly tense 10-minute drama that contrasts knowledge and wisdom, theory and practice.

Eric Mansfield nicely develops the characters in "The Board," especially Clarence -- who seems to know more and say less, and Lance, who is newly graduated from West Point. While they aren't confrontational, these two men clearly have different points of view about objectives. It's only later in the play, after the match ends and Lance leaves, that the audience perhaps understands how Clarence came to his perspective. With that understanding, the entire script changes.

Manfield has written a terrific character piece in "The Board."

This is an adventurous, action-filled, fun short play about storytelling, horror tropes, and the power of dreams.

Rob Matsushita has done triple duty here, not only creating a story and characters of a never-before-told Japanese horror movie, but also commentary about it and -- by extension -- Japanese moviemaking. And the dream logic throughout is terrific: "Well, since it was a dream, and I don’t speak Japanese, I
guess I just understood that they were speaking Japanese."

"A Dream of Japanese Horror" will be so much fun for your director, your fight choreographer, actors, designers, and audiences.

Really beautifully written horror/suspense. Tension builds and builds in one area, and then the audience discovers they've been worried for the wrong reasons the entire time.

Daniel Prillaman's dark imaginative plays chill to the bone, and "Assassinating Zeus" is no exception. This 10-minute play starts with a warning to pay attention to our surroundings (HONK), to notice details around us (HONK) and it concludes with a single, very intimate dose of horror.

Chilling in its action, dialogue, and visuals. Honk.

"The Man in 119" will not be an easy play to produce. Scott Sickles employs multiple timelines, multiple settings -- including one that is outdoors -- lots of sound cues, lots of physical action and zero dialogue to tell this story.

But the richness of emotion and desire, the tenderness and sadness these characters feel will tug on the audience like an ocean current.

"The Man in 119" is the play that you assign to your best director and designers to bring to life in collaboration with strong, expressive actors. It won't be easy. It will be worth it.

Melissa Bell has researched how placentas are treated throughout the world, and that shows in this short comedic monologue.

Re-reading it, it seems clear that cultures from long ago and far away had options for women who kept the placenta. So I found it ironic that there seem to be no options available to Patti in contemporary America.