Recommended by Peter Fenton

In the very best way possible, I'm having trouble placing a comp title for Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos' wonderfully absurd Rasputin-inspired historical drama circus play! What I know for sure: it's an absurd premise with elite turns of phrase in the dialogue and plenty of room for spectacle for the set designer, director, costume designer, and actor to really sink their teeth into. I would love to see this play staged, if only to witness the immersively frightening experience laid out in these circus acts. I imagine my vision only scratches the surface of potential for this show!

Powerful and Lifelike. Those are the two words that come to mind when I read THREE BLIND MICE by Darrin Friedman. I so appreciate Friedman's illustration of adult male friendship through the characters of William, Seth, and Javie—we're seeing three men brought together by grief and navigating the struggles of life, both day-to-day and big-picture, being vulnerable with each other and having deeply honest and sometimes uncomfortably direct conversations with each other. Highly recommended for any reader (or producer) wishing to see a counter-narrative to the idea that adult men can't make meaningful friendships.

This is a ten-minute two-hander that could've only been written by a therapist, and I mean this in the very best way. Dana Hall expertly captured the voices of Sigmund Freud and Georgia O'Keeffe in such a real (and unexpectedly comedic) banter. Dana's no-nonsense portrayal of Georgia O'Keeffe was the highlight of the piece for me and I enjoyed seeing her win the day!

I adore this play. Several other recommenders have noted it's constructed like a symphony, and I have to agree: the unique, classical music-esque structure to this piece heightens its impact. Having grown up very religious myself and coming of age in college trying to figure out where I end and the rest of the world and my own religion conviction begins, I deeply resonate with David's arc through the piece. His closing monologue is beautiful. Rinkel has drawn very human characters that manage to also get at larger, abstract points about humanity and religious identity. Excellent work!

I generally advise against introducing your new partner to your parents at a holiday, and David Lipschutz has illustrated perfectly why in less than ten minutes! The [C]Han[n]uk[k]a[h] Play is a dark cringe comedy that has so much room for fun for the actors and director at the masterful discomfort of the audience. I loved seeing what this family is NOT horrified by juxtaposed with what they ARE horrified by. A very, very fun short holiday play!

Jonny Bolduc has illustrated the darkest, grittiest answers to many of the questions I've had about the Frosty the Snowman special since childhood. The forlorn singing at the very end is the cherry on top--and I highly recommend reading the piece imagining the voices of Frosty and Karen from the 1969 special, it makes Bolduc's piece that much more jarring. Fun!

This piece is short, sweet, clever, and hilarious. Morey Norkin is strongest when writing comedy, and his power is on display in full force with this short piece! The best comedy leaves you with something to ponder, and this one leaves me considering how absurd smartphones are, and is making me rethink whether connecting paper cups with string ever actually did anything. A fun, jaunty read!

It's a piece set in the afterlife and someone got hit by a bus--Brent Alles knows the way to my heart! Jokes aside, this ten-minute two-hander is clever and hilarious. I love the clever exploration of the Mandela effect and how blasé an attitude the Office Worker takes toward reality bending. Lots to explore here for the actors and director in this quick treat of a piece!

I have to imagine if you are a gay man under the age of 40 (which I am), MEMORIAL DAY is a must-read to get a taste of what life was like in the late '80s and early '90s for us. What's especially remarkable about this play as a work of human drama is how Donnelly leverages soft comedic dialogue that ironically underscores how bleak and tragic the scenario really is. George is an incredibly complex, well-drawn character and I especially appreciated his arc through the piece.

I love the interplay between these two characters! Patricia Lynn has explored a dynamic between amicable-enough exes who were high school sweethearts and raises some intriguing questions about what exactly self-defense is... it has a broader definition than you may think. I really enjoyed the history and relationship between Missy and Carter and love the visual image of a debutante throwing punches in a ball gown and high heels!