Recommended by Adam Richter

So much of what I want to praise about this play has to do with the title, but to utter even a word about it would ruin the whole thing. In this delightful bit of meta-drama (a play about a movie scene featuring actors playing actors playing characters) Matthew Weaver weaves multiple threads of dramatic tension and plucks on all of them right up until the very last moment. This play lingers with you long after the final blackout.

Just when you think Philip Middleton Williams is finished subverting your expectations about this familiar-yet-original cast of diner characters, he subverts them all over again, to great comic effect. This is a hoot of a play that skewers what politicians and the general public think of voters in the proverbial small-town diner. Sheer brilliance!

Parents just don't understand ...
The modern dating scene.
This is a sharp, funny two-hander about the generation gap, modern dating and of course, "My Little Pony." I loved the role reversal between the mother and daughter as Shawna tries to explain the facts of life to her mom. A fun script that would be a hoot for two actresses (and the audience.)

We've all been tempted by the menu at Bitter Grounds — or we've been longtime customers.

This is a great satire that exposes what happens when we hang on to resentment for too long. Maripat Allen's dialogue sparkles in this whip-smart comedy, which has tons of room for great physical expression as well. This would be a great play to produce in front of an audience. Well done!

Short and (anything but) sweet.
Not sweet, but necessary. A seething monologue that bubbles over with righteous and deserved anger. In the hands of the right actor, this is an absolute show-stopper of a short piece.

"Triptych" is a lovely and funny comedy that takes on the perils of love triangles and open relationships with great care and humor. The use of a narrator helps preserve some of Sam Heyman's terrific prose from the short story (from which this was adapted). While narrators on stage are rarely an effective storytelling device, here Heyman uses it to perfection.
This is a terrific play for four actors that absolutely deserves a production.
P.S. It also includes one of the greatest stage directions since "Exeunt, pursued by a bear":
"PHILLIP finally erupts from his cloister of limbs."

Bravo...

A brilliant, laugh-out-loud satire that pokes an SUV-sized hole in one of the most onerous (and odious) requirements of theater companies. I want to see this played on a loop at every single 10-minute (and 1-minute, for that matter) play festival. Bravo!

A sweet and charming coming-out story. Sam Heyman has a wonderful gift for dialogue and for finding the humor in the ways people try, and often fail, to express themselves. The push-and-pull of Brett and Chip's relationship is a joy to read, and Jessica is the perfect third wheel. Bravo!

This is an absolutely lovely tale of mercy, family and, ultimately, female empowerment. The language in Hilary Bluestein-Lyons' script is spare and graceful. The tale of Kwan Yin is ancient (according to a 10-second Google search I conducted after finishing the play), but Hilary retells it in such an original way it feels fresh and urgent. I highly recommend someone pick this up for an evening of short plays.

The irony in this play is rich and hilarious. We think of games — especially among alleged "grown-ups" — as low-stakes affairs, but as the speaker shows, the stakes couldn't be any higher. This is a great comic monologue for an older actress.