Recommended by Asher Wyndham

This play has a furry-tale but don't dismiss it as slight or cute. Makes you think about the domesticated life of our own pets but also those belonging to others, in homes and farms. Are we denying these furry creatures a sense of freedom? What would we be thinking if we were in the cage like them? This and her other notable monologues from the perspective of animals would make for an exciting addition to any festival on animals and animal rights. Check it out.

This play perfectly addresses a problem that must not be overlooked by school administrator and parents -- toxic masculinity (esp. w/ white kids) which sometimes leads to acts of violence. Weaver deals with this topic with delicacy and flawless handling of the short form. The mother's words of love for her son, her understanding of his heartbreak and his pain, her words of compassion and hope -- they're words for boys in audience. A must-pick play for your stage reading or short play festival on gun control. It's hard to pick a favorite Weaver-- there are so many stellar plays!

If you enjoyed McLindon's Irish-themed bar-play Distant Music or contemporary Irish theatre or even the movie Pan's Labryinth, you will thoroughly enjoy Comes a Faery. Taking what could've been a typical drama about the effects of war on American family life, McLindon heightens his emotional story by inserting an Irish folklore-theme, specifically about fairies and fairy land, bringing to the stage/page moments of enchantment with the relationship between a questionable fairy guide Seaneen and a vulnerable child Siobhan, leading the audience, surprisingly, to a shocking, sinister conclusion. Highly recommended.

This play is not just for Iran, it's for the free world of ideas and art, of peace and poetry -- it reminds us playwrights and poets to not take our art for granted, to never shy away from questioning status-quo and totalitarianism wherever you find it, to be boldly political, to join our brother and sisters in other parts of the world. A poetess like Behbahani would be ignored by many, if it wasn't for Diamond bringing her to the stage in an arresting scene where explicating poems becomes an intense battle of ideologies. Pinter would approve! Produce this!

When you discover where this is going, it hits you hard and it's like you're breathing on the edge with the 10-year-old. Doesn't shy away from tackling social and cultural expectations of parenting and the negative impact on the mental health of a child. Devastating in its simplicity, capturing perfectly the authentic voice of kid on the edge. A smart choice for any festival on mental health. Check it out.

Looking for a play with 5 to 6 actors, appropriate for college and short play festivals? Then check on McLindon's stellar laugh-out-loud comedy on political correctness. Deals with a contentious issue the best way, through comedy. It's also a great workout for actors!

O'Grady may be the only playwright, or maybe one of a few, that is crafting animal monologues that at first are cute in execution but cleverly making a point about treatment of pets. Not just for kids. I would love to see this and her other animal monologues on stage.

Creepy fun for an ensemble of teens. This play will have a long life in high schools and colleges across the country.

An unforgettable spectacle that explores adolescence, specifically that critical transition from following your parent's advice and becoming your own person, as a sexual person. Evocative. Poetic. Must read. Exceptional playwriting in short form. Wow.

We don't want to slip in the shower and break our body -- for many it's one of their greatest fears. Weaver turns this fear into a comedy gold with hilarious, childish results. This would a fun one at a comedy solo festival.