Recommended by Adam Richter

Vivian Lermond gets the world of noir detective stories dead to rights in this terrific (and too short, IMHO), quick two-hander. As with all the best parodies, this is written with a readily felt love for the genre it's mocking. Just brilliant.
*Also, "Della Estella" is one of the best character names I have read in a long time.

Any writer — hell, any creative person whose success hinges on the gatekeepers of contests, publications and the like — can identify with this delicious satire, in which a gatekeeper must reckon with the person behind the page. This is worthy of a stage production, if only to show some producers the consequences of their actions. Bravo!

I cannot overstate how impressive it is that in the course of a one-minute play, Monica Cross has crafted an entire world — an entire galaxy, really — and given us so much story, character in 60 seconds that you can't believe it's over after just a page and a half. Is it a great sci-fi play or a great one-minute play? It's both!

There are few times in life when it's more important to be present and attentive than on your wedding day, at the time when your spouse-to-be is articulating a vow of undying love. For someone who's ADD, whose mind can wander at the slightest provocation, this is no easy feat. Scott Sickles shows us this moment from two perspective of both bride and groom in a pair of 1-minute plays that captures the awkwardness of the vows and the efforts to pay attention to them. These plays are brief but they are spectacular.

Finally, the Minotaur gets some respect! I not only loved the story in this lovely one-act by Scott Sickles; the staging is ingenious. Scott presents one of the most feared creatures in Greek mythology and makes him someone not to pity, but to sympathize with. The bond that develops between Izar and the Minotaur is lovely as it unfolds. I cannot recommend this play highly enough.

If you ever need to have an awkward conversation with your child, let Daniel Prillaman be your guide. His latest play is brilliant in its dialogue and staging, and a hilarious portrayal of two parents whose teen daughter comes home at the absolute worst time. I love this play and want to see it on a stage somewhere.

A beautiful and heartbreaking elegy to a victim of America's senseless indifference to mass shootings. I was not familiar with the real person so the last line — and the note at the end — were a gut punch. As they should be.

Philip Middleton Williams takes the buddy comedy format and completely turns it on its head in this compelling, fast-paced and hilarious play. I laughed out loud throughout most of it, especially when he subverts our expectations of who we think Tony and Alex should be. "Tucumcari Tonite!" is a brilliant two-hander that would be great to see on a stage. I loved this play, and I hope Tony finds happiness in his new life. Well done!

Short but powerful play about homelessness and the need to see those who as unhoused as people — fully realized, complex people with a history and a family who loved them. Simply amazing.

This play says so much about how siblings navigate loss, expectations and the tension of what we want vs. what we can accomplish. This is a great piece for two women, with lots of depth and complexity to both characters. Oh, yeah, and it's funny as hell.