Recommended by Steven G. Martin

"The Girl in the Wall" is a very dark, very comic retelling of a selfish character's most "Oh, shit!" moment in life, complete with fiendish flourishes. Don't look for empathy, regret, or redemption in Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos's gothic monologue; just be entertained in a tale well told.

This is a terrific monologue. Porter reveals so much about Tiffany by what she doesn't say and when she stops communicating.

The dinosaurs (via McGough) are right: The modern natural world is magnificent and inspirational. Ultimately, this is an uplifting play.

Arsinoë is the definition of defiance, even at the last. Stubbles has written a spine-stiffening portrait of the 18-year-old ruler.

Tasteless, tacky and shudder-inducing. Otterman's short comedy about relationships & the slippery slope of science is brilliant. Burn it all to the ground, indeed!

Lucy Wang's comic monologue lets an audience in on The Secret: growing older has its perks. This play is pure fun.

Richter's sly, satirical monologue sets up the audience beautifully. It's all about civility and modern communication, modern communication and civility ... and then, WHAM, a reminder of just how shallow/pointless/ridiculous the world can be. This is a gift for a comic actor and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Richter's short play is an empathetic portrait of those who want social connections, but are unable to cultivate them. This is an entirely recognizable -- and for more than a few people, relatable -- character and situation. A "sigh" of a play.

The world's going to hell? In Otterman's short dark comedy, it inspires complacency, selfishness, and nonchalance. "The Volcano Play" is a quick, damning look at American priorities.

Rose uses highly theatrical methods to bring this nightmare scenario to the stage. This is a character-driven, very tension-filled one-act.