Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

I suppose I should get used to the simple fact that Franky Gonzalez can always touch me with his writing, but I will never cease to be amazed by his intimate and powerful connection to his characters and how they step off the page and into our world. This new short play has all of that, and the portrait of a father trying to relate, to connect, to understand his newborn son all the while trying to reconcile his own feelings about his own father will resonate deeply with you and an audience. Thank you, Franky.

I read "California" before it was posted on NPX, and I'm so glad to see it here now. It's a powerful, well-crafted, sharply-written play with strong characters and twists and turns that hold your interest to the very end and leave you thinking about these people long after. I hope it gets fully staged soon.

Food and family are two universal things that connect us to our culture and each other. And they are truly universal. With the simple recipe of a native dish we are brought into the heart of a relationship between a mother and daughter. Maximillian Gill shows us more about the culture and heritage than all of the travelogues or National Geographic could ever do. What a sweet treasure.

Long before there were Shakespeare's sonnets and long after Neil Sedaka sang it to us, we know that breaking up is hard to do. So why should this one feel different? Because Eytan Deray gets beyond the rhyme and the tears to show how even a callous and unfeeling end to a relationship can be dealt with. Yes, it hurts beyond words, but it also is a sign of unconquerable strength that Guy can be honest about himself and his ex without revenge, recrimination, and hold out hope, however glimmering.

A hilarious take on what happens when Snow White's evil stepmother tries to make amends and atone for her evil ways. Lee R. Lawing's deft dialogue and spot-on characters sparkle with dry wit and snappy come-backs. Would that the Brothers Grimm had such fun with their tales, especially the way this play turns the mirror to reality. What fun!

John Busser gives us a moment between father and son, but as is always the case, the truest conversations are often those we have with ourselves. The way he gives us these characters is beautifully crafted and deeply felt. This would be a wonderful selection for any short play festival.

Molly Wagner's "Trio" is a deep and intimate look at friendship, warts and all, and especially the tenuous bonds that define it. I was reminded of the song lyric, "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," and even then, was it all you wanted or hoped it would be? The two friends left behind after the death of their friend explore their own feelings and wonder if they really knew each other as well as they thought they did; a question a lot of us ask. "Trio" is a beautiful exploration.

This is a wonderful take on the axiom that love is love and it doesn't matter who you love. I heard truths and intimacy that anyone who's ever shared a life with someone will recognize and cherish.

The set-up is right out of sketch comedy in the best sense of the word -- think Ernie Kovacs, Sid Caesar, Carol Burnett -- with the premise of seeing Goldilocks as seen from next door neighbors. The interaction between Umberto and Gustav is spot-on true and hilarious, and with the comic touch we've come to love from Matthew Weaver, it's a gem.

Just when you think you've figured this one out, well... guess what. Maximillian Gill has given us a metaphor in literal terms that made me laugh and squirm at the same time, and for anyone who has spent their time in the corporate world, it will not only ring true, it will give you some ideas that can only lurk in the imagination. Well done, Max, well done.