Recommended by Adam Richter

An exciting and intense 1-minute play whose real horror comes not from the supernatural but from the real world (as it does).

Oh, man. This play has EVERYTHING you know and hate about avant-garde, plotless theater. As such, it's a cringing, hilarious sendup of same. I think of this play as part satire, part object lesson for anyone tempted to write a play with the attitude of "Plot Doesn't Matter." Read this play and consider yourself warned.

The story of Sally Hemmings is often overlooked, and Rachael Carnes' short but powerful "Partner Of --" does a great job of bringing her experience, and her trauma, to life. As always, she does a lot in a few pages. This is a compelling historical work.

Horrifying. Powerful and horrifying. What makes this play so disturbing is that the scenario -- people trying in vain to thwart an inhumane practice by the U.S. government -- is so realistic. "This Is How It Starts" isn't just a satire; it's a warning.

This is a tight drama that builds tension one line at a time. Really well done, and I agree with Cheryl Bear: This needs to be produced everywhere.

Scott Sickles creates a perfect love -- pentagon? -- in this hilarious sendup of fringe theater. It's also a good cautionary tale for anyone involved in theater at any level. (Except maybe prop managers. They're fine.) I love the way that Scott creates complicated relationships that are funny and also heartfelt, and he does so expertly in this play.

You don't expect romance to blossom (certainly not in a "meet-cute" kind of way) out of an attempted terrorist attack, but Scott C. Sickles expertly subverts all kinds of preconceived notions in "Hand on Heart." This clever, concise play shows that the perceptions we have of one another can be wrong in so many ways. As usual, he accomplishes a great deal in a small space.

Short but brilliant. I loved the ending. Matthew Weaver's one-minute plays are a joy to read, and this is one of my favorites.

This was a funny, high-energy slapstick play that makes you fear for the future of the human race almost as much as any current headline. The three astronauts tasked with colonizing Mars are humanity's last hope and they are well aware they're not up to the task. I saw a production at the Nylon Fusion Theater Company and it was a laugh-out-loud romp.

A lovely and touching piece about two people who find each other in an accidental way, and what can happen when you extend some kindness to a total stranger.