Recommended by Asher Wyndham

An appropriation/spoof of frat bro vernacular and attitude that's side-splitting funny. Funny, but pointedly serious in its contrasting of bro and Black female identity. The character of Naima, incognito in bro threads and boat shoes, reveals the hard truth - that difficulty of being a Black woman on campus in the United States. You'd be a fool to not include this in your college's festival of short plays.

Chauncey, an English raccoon, is a charming character from the very first page. He's small, but too big for this play - he's deserves another short play - or a full-length! Half-Austin Powers (cuz he's a lady's man), half-Paddington Bear (cuz he's adorable), this larger-than-life raccoon is unforgettable. Chauncey!!! Recommended for comedy festivals.

Guyton never disappoints. Always gut-busting funny (every line!), but he always has a point to make about human interaction. Yes, the wife in this play is awful, she's not 'there' for her husband, but what about you...you're on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, New Play Exchange (!), whatever, sometimes when you're with someone special (admit it!), on a date or even in bed (admit it!). If you ever wanted to read a first play by Guyton and get hooked on his playwriting, read this play! Deserves production after production around the entire globe.

Toxic masculinity of middle-school boys examined in an ingenious concept. The play makes you sad about the future state of your country when boys like this will grow up to be men working and governing in your country. Many blame racist and misogynistic violence of videogames as a negative impact on middle-school and teenage behavior; however, the violent and puerile rhetoric of the men-in-charge - the Trump-supporting men - at the state and federal level - may have more of a negative impact. It'd be cool to see grown men plays these kids playing the videogame.

A slime-looking "sperm smoothie" is not a good way to jump-start a romantic evening, but for this married couple it's imperative. A comedy focusing on the stress-inducing challenge of getting pregnant will make you laugh out loud, but it'll also break your heart. What could've been easily a funny black-box sketch, is a wery well-written comedy with complex characters, each with an inferiority issue. Recommended for any comedy showcase, especially one focusing on relationships.

What's in Szymkowicz's cereal box? Frosted flakes laced with LSD? This play has clowns, FBI-like agents, a swamp woman, a unicorn, and an angel, all interacting in a fantastical landscape that's odd like a lot places in America. The play reveals that it's inspired by many popular literary and cinematic styles, yet it's entirely Szymkowiczian in execution and design. Keep the beer or shrooms at home, this play will f with your mind.

Asking an anonymous alien for a favor is the stuff of comedy. But the asking, more like begging, and the frustration and anger that comes along with that, makes you think about every Puerto Rican's difficult relationship with the U.S. Government. Or makes you think about a minority's attempt at salvation - for a return to normalcy, for power - from somewhere else, not God or country. With this play, Diaz-Marcano continues his multi-play project on the Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria with an imaginative leap into the comic sphere with a charming character that's rightfully angry but hopeful.

Goes for the heart and the groin. The unusual structure through vignettes will be beautiful to see acted out by two actors, young or old. Highly recommended for a LGBTQI showcase or February festival.

MERCY is a heartbreaking play about the heart breaking after the death of a loved one. Paralysis, volcanic anger, irrationality -- all that and more intensify Szymkowicz's character-study of Orville. The man earns our empathy from the beginning, even when he's near madness. His descent into vegenance is an action that 99.9% of us wouldn't take; however, that anti-heroic journey pushes him to a difficult choice that reveals so much truth about how humans cope with traumatic pain. Yes, a lot of sadness in this play, but there's also a lot of humor. Produce this play!

Stylized cacophony of city voices complaining, ranting, arguing, all of it intensitying like city noises do on a crazy night. The information, the questions, the awfulness, it's overwhelming - and that's the point. The play wakes you up like sirens do. I don't recommend reading each column at a time. From top to bottom, scan the play with your eyes like you do on Facebook, reading a bit of some report on a similar tragedy. Read it and hear whatever lines stand out, just like what's overheard on sidewalks, like snippets from police officers and passersby.