Recommended by Mike Byham

So relatable. David Hilder writes a beautifully honest short centered on challenges found in a relationship. The need to be heard/understood is crippling communication between the main characters and yet - their love for one another keeps them working on it. Absolutely love the message.

Aly Kantor works her magic again in this short. It's witty and touching - with a surprise twist at the end. The dialogue is crisp and true to life, which adds credence to the story itself. Beautifully done - wrapping wonderfully heartfelt emotions in a cocoon of funny.

Fun stories told by Grandpa Bee! Movie buffs will love this sweet tale of movie Bee-story as an aging actor reminisces on his career. Us older folks can relate. Excellent monologue material. Very cute and funny.

In Sickles' take on 37 Origami Bees, he provides a stunningly powerful piece of little-known or explored history. His tale of the fate of Korean/Japanese pleasure girls, while only ten minutes long, produces a scenario where education triumphs over ignorance allowing humanity to win the day. (If only it were that easy). I'm always amazed at Scott's ability to use poetic language in situations where it would not seem welcome. Yet it's not forced, nor does it feel out of place. Wonderful.

Whelp - I was really hoping the queen bee would find her king and I must say I've never been happier to be disappointed. So much fun to be had here! Actors and audiences alike will really enjoy this short.

What starts as a simple exercise in wordplay and actual, literal origami folding turns into something so much more. It's a bee-utiful message. Inspiring.

Beautiful and true to life. This short reminds us that wisdom can be found in youth and the love of a parent can make the time to listen to it. There is also a subtle warning included concerning the need to care for our natural surroundings. But this message doesn't overwhelm the simple story of a caring child with a caring parent. So well done.

There is so much to love about this play - the setting, the period in which it’s held, the richly-drawn characters. But it’s the story - a simple tale of love that resonates and lingers. Wrapped in the late sixties time bubble when America was simultaneously at its greatest and its worst, Phillip Middleton Williams wisely avoids preaching to the audience allowing the characters to tell their truths, simultaneously highlighting the coming of age for these young people as well as American society.

I was initially drawn to this piece since I am familiar with the area, having been born in the nearby town of Meadville, PA. With this wonderful thrill ride exquisitely paced to match the boom-and-bust history of Pithole, Matthew Alan Craig creates ten minutes of theatrical magic. The staging is well thought out and directors will really love putting the actors through their paces. I would love to see this staged.

Gut punch in five pages. Moving because the excellent dialogue and characterizations make it feel so real. You instantly relate to Shelly's desperation and creeping sadness as they realize the truth that Brady knows, or worse yet doesn't care enough to even consider. Wonderful.