Recommended by Adam Richter

What a great story to bring to life! Jillian Blevins gives us a complex, compelling and often very funny play about sisters, the stage and the secrets that shape us. Blevins blends the language of Shakespeare with the language of 19th-century London as Charlotte, Susan and and the rest leap off the page and into our imagination in a story that modern audiences will not only relate to, but love.

"The Polycule" has a lot to say about the complexities of relationships — not just poly, but all kinds — and Jillian Blevins lovingly skewers them all in this laugh-out-loud, clever comedy of manners The rhyming couplets get along better than any two people on stage, adding to the humor and spirit of fun in this piece. Absolutely brilliant.

A bittersweet and funny coda to a fun series of challenges by Debra A. Cole, whose talent for writing (and for writing fast) is a joy to behold.

Now I’m hungry …

Sam Heyman is a master at getting right to the humanity and the heart of any theatrical situation, no matter how otherworldly the setting. Here he gives us a dystopian view of a future world at war with an unseen yet existential threat, distilling the conflict down to the touching friendship between two people affected by the horror. This is a terrific short that will fit in with any science fiction-themed short play festival and get audiences talking.

I love how the tone of this play goes from comic to cringey to comic seamlessly. What a great piece for two actors who would have a ball with the slow-building tension, followed by the rapid-fire volley of truth missiles fired from both sides. "Let Lying Dogs Sleep" is a terrific two-hander that audiences will love. Bravo!

This trio of one-minute plays runs the gamut from the familiar to the ridiculous to the sublime (if you read them in order.) They each tell a beautiful story of relationships at various stages, and would work well as a set or as individual plays in a longer evening. A lovely response to an interesting play prompt.

I don't think I've ever read a monologue quite like this one. That seems like it could be an evergreen statement of all of Scott Sickles' works, but this is an exquisite piece with a remarkable twist in the end. A terrific solo work that would hook audiences.

A charming, life-affirming and powerful statement on the role of art in our lives. I was enthralled by Steve's compelling and empathetic portrayals of these three magnificent creatures, especially Suzie, who knows there's more to life than grass. Bravo, playwright!

Oh. My. God. This play is a hilarious satire of dating and relationships, and I don't want to give anything away, but ...

Read the disclaimer. It makes the whole thing that much more delicious.

"The Rules" is a masterful interpretation of a ridiculous prompt and I want to see it on stage immediately. Fantastic!

Like the teenage years that this play evokes, "Threesome" is both cringey and hilarious, in all the best ways. Such a great response to the prompt about body parts. Bravo!