Recommended by Mike Byham

What a clever little play this is. The clues for the final reversal (perhaps just a realization?) are sprinkled throughout. "Everyone hurts each other. All the time." On its surface - THE BED TRICK appears to be an exploration of misogyny and power dynamics between sexes. At its heart - Jillian Blevins creates a masterpiece commentary on what we're willing to put up with when we find the object of our desire, and what happens when this desire is unrequited. Love hurts. Impressive work.

What a sweet reminder of the joy of finding the right someone - even if that right someone has been right in front of you the whole time. The dialogue is natural and flows effortlessly. This short would be a real crowd-pleaser at festivals. Well done!

This play is a dagger to the heart of parents, eliciting feelings those of us familiar with the pain will recognize, while creating a space for empathy in those who aren't. Only five pages and yet the story shared resonates as a much larger tome. Brilliant writing.

Yeah - this is fun! I can see this staged pretty effectively. A humorous, creepy delight, Jonny Bolduc gives us ten minutes of marvelous mayhem on the playground. Thank god I was never a teacher - although the pair of lead characters in Bolduc's play prove to be up to the task. Kids these days ...

What makes humans human? Marilyn Ollett answers this question in THE FOURTH PYRAMID. The play effectively intertwines the power of love and music as the magic ingredient differentiating feeling being (most of us) from soulless machine. This short play hits the mark on a number of levels - the setting and tone are just right for the message. Very well done!

12:34am is a fever-dream darkly-tinted rom-com where the unimaginable should be expected. A runaway bride, a couple of her friends, a frat-house boy with a milk fetish, Russian spies, a clueless lawman and a human cow populate the stage in a frenzied car chase across the pending apocalyptic American landscape, leading to an actual wedding accompanied by nuclear fireworks. Fast-paced witty dialogue (some in Russian) propels the action. This is fun!

Wow! So much said in one minute! CREAK is simple story-telling done effectively well. And the ending is simply perfection. Sublime.

B.E.A.U.T.Y. is a very interesting and thought-provoking one-act regarding the future of AI in a possible apocalyptic scenario. Brent Alles effectively uses a setting that evokes an expectation of a gentle and humorous romp with a couple of cute robots. He then turns the tables on us to have a serious moment or two. Surprisingly emotional and very well done.

Three men share life's grievances, argue and bond. They explore their differing backgrounds and common experiences. They suffer tragedies and learn to cope while (mostly) enjoying time with each other. Although this sounds like a simple concept, Darrin Friedman creates a world in THREE BLIND MICE that is richer and fuller in experience. As each tries to find a place modern society, revelations of human frailty indicates that hope for better tomorrow may ultimately be elusive. Yet each character has an elegantly defined arc that is brought home with a satisfying end. Includes a killer monologue. This should be produced.

This short felt like a pleasant and leisurely drive down an interesting but familiar road until the final surprising turn. A THOUGHT is so sweet and so simple, until Paul Smith turns it just a tad on its head. Lovely writing. A great addition to the bench series.