Recommended by Peter Fenton

In this LGBTQ romantic dramedy, THE LOVER AND THE FIGHTER, Sam Heyman shows us an illustration of a poignant love story, a story that reminds us that loving someone doesn't necessarily just mean consummating the relationship but rather, letting them leave an irreversible mark on you for better and for worse. What I especially enjoy about this play is how we see both Lee and Shawn engage with their past through the (welcomed or not) help of other significant relationships in their life!

TWELVE BOOKS is a touching ten-minute two-hander illustrating an “ordinary” dynamic between a grown son and the spirit of his father, packing up the last few of his books. The twist is the father appears as his sixteen-year-old self. Williams has created an intriguing acting challenge for a young performer to embody someone who has lived a full life in this succinct, resonant play!

Even under the guise of an absurd 10-minute comedy following anthropomorphic animals, Philip Middleton Williams' skill as a dialogue writer and storyteller is on full display in this piece. I laughed out loud several times while reading BIRDS OF PARADISE and appreciated the dark humor bits of characterization for the buzzard and the unexpected guest.

As someone who grew up very religious and is gay, plays like SO AM I by Ryan Vaughan that explore the run-ins of religion and human identity really touch me. I think it works very well as a 10-minute piece and a story like this one offers a lot of room to expand into a longer one-act or a full-length. I like seeing a candid mother/daughter relationship where ultimately, love wins the day.

This solo show is a gut-punch. powerful exploration of heartbreak and identity. I especially love how Osmundsen illustrates Bob’s exact thought process through the monologue and leveraged those words well to illustrate Bob’s relationship with four other characters named in the script. I also appreciate the unique framing of this play being a story told 10+ years removed from the incident—young enough that it still hurts but old enough to develop perspective. Looking forward to seeing it at Rogue Theater Festival!

WITH BATED BREATH is a seductive, hilariously absurd dark comedy from Mark-Eugene Garcia. This play had me on premise alone and the execution had me laughing out loud! A whole religious town of quirky characters and a sex pill factory opening nearby… what could possibly go wrong? (Answer: Everything) This is a play I’d love to hear out loud, or better yet, fully staged! Excellent work.

On concept alone, Jillian Blevins had me with THE POLYCULE. This one is a conceptually super contemporary scenario but written with such a deliberate, "old timey" rhyme scheme that could stand with the best of Shakespeare and Wilde, which added such whimsy and comedy to the whole scenario. The unique formatting on the page helps the reader (and thus, directors and actors) get a sense of the pace of the dialogue which Blevins executed her structure superbly. Not to mention... this play is just so damn funny! ("bless this gig economy")

I always enjoy Debra Cole’s particular brand of snark and feistiness, and seeing it placed within the art world of 1800’s Paris is certainly a treat. You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? Something BOUQUET OF VIOLETS does especially well is letting the visuals do the talking (the paintings used throughout paint an especially vivid motif), and much like an impressionist painting, so much rich subtext is laden in the dialogue. A beautiful work of art!

We all could use a mom like Tonya. Damn. This monologue by Sam Heyman hits home in all the best ways and says so much without saying the word "gay" or "queer"—I'm all for any opportunity for there to be more love in the world and this monologue works in that way to great effect.

I love a good scenario where actors get to play inanimate objects, and Philip Middleton Williams' JUST AN OLD FASHIONED LOVE SONG is a fun ten-minute piece evoking sort of a snarky "Toy Story"-like existential crisis for this banjo clock, old loveseat, and grand piano. Philip has captured pretty much exactly how I would picture these types of objects talking, too. Fun and well-drawn!