Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

What seems to be a farcical take on the January 6 rioters becomes an intense and troubling look at the mindset of fanaticism. Paul Braverman's short play doesn't pull punches even as he elicits laughs at the antics. Do we take these people and their driven dedication to what they perceive as the undisputed truth, or hope and plead for reality to show up in time to save themselves... and us? The reading at Valdez 2025 was a powerful lesson in perception and consequences.

Radio drama works because it is as mesmerizing as anything on the watchable screen, but better because instead of CGI and green-screen, there is our imagination. In this story of unseen and approaching terror, Christopher Plumridge has given us a limitless canvas to create thought that envelopes us as we listen to the plight of Carla and Stevie. This play brilliantly gives us a tale told in words and sounds in stunning detail, unmatched on the screen or stage.

Sam Heyman's sense of humor and irony is on full display in this short, sharp sarcastic look at how coming out is a more than just a game. Reducing a life-altering moment to an audience-participation piece of entertainment underlines how our society trivializes such personal moments and exploits the hoopla. And yet, it is also uplifting for anyone who has faced a tough choice in their life, whether it's coming out and deciding their future: you don't have to be LGBTQ to come out.

Greg Romero has the rare gift among writers to be able to convey ideas with as few words or actions as possible and still reach the depths of meaning to everyone watching or listening. I've had the privilege of seeing his plays in readings over the years at the Inge New Play Lab and Valdez Theatre Conference, and each time I have come away informed and inspired. I can only imagine what will transpire when I see a full production of any of his plays, and this one would be on the top of my list.

This gem has everything a farcical murder needs: quick pace, great puns, over-the-top characters, and a twist of an ending that would give a pretzel the time of its life. Fernando Buzhar Segall got a great reading of it at Valdez 2025, so just imagine what it would be like in a full production. So much fun!

What starts out as a police interrogation worthy of "Law & Order" becomes harrowing, but without the jump-scares of a horror film. All due credit to Kyle Walker for making the story come out by building the tension so relentlessly that the audience is left with a powerful message: the scariest demons are the one we don't see. This was clear at the reading at Valdez 2025, so imagine what it would be like on stage... Wow.

A beautifully crafted two-hander with powerful characters, each strong willed, but with a sense of vulnerability that comes through despite the gruff language. Craig Houk’s ability to balance tension with humor is on full display here, and I would love to see this acted out. I genuinely like these guys.

The dilemma that confronts Gabriel is multidimensional: a devout Catholic, openly queer, and a vampire. How do they reconcile these elements of their life? Trying to gain absolution in the confessional carries with it the additional awareness that Father Harris is also dealing with their own past, of which Gabriel is fully aware. Both occupants of the confessional have more to deal with than recited rosaries. They both need to find the Light, and this play does not hold back.

I have personal knowledge that Daniel Emlyn-Jones' experience with the American Deep South is based on his love of Blanche Devereuax ("The Golden Girls") and vacations in Miami, but his affection for the region and its quirks shows in this lovely confection. The story is funny and with as many twists and turns as a kudzu vine and the sweet scent of magnolia blooms. It's no wonder it took the prize, and its reading at the Valdez Theatre Conference Fringe was a gem.

John Adams has a wonderful ability to take a well-known setting -- in this case, Scooby Doo -- and turn it into a coming-of-age play where we see the two youthful sleuths realize that life is more than just a Saturday morning animated adventure. Ben and Gabriel emerge as more than cartoon characters, and in their hunt for monsters in rural Kansas, and when real life intrudes, they learn to face it as adults, not without a few true moments of introspection, and beautifully told.