Recommended by Paul Braverman

As loved ones age, cognitive decline ultimately impacts most families. This thoughtful and touching short play approaches the topic with both honesty and affection. Family members get a glimpse into the world Dad was living in through some cryptic, one-word notes he left behind, which in turn creates a connectedness between all of them. This play will move audiences.

If you enjoy great fantasy, this ten minute play is for you. The quality of Gatton's dialogue brings authenticity to this scene, and the code shifting of the lead characters is fun and surprising. You don't have to be a Tolkien scholar to appreciate the context of the scene or the genuine emotion driving the characters' objectives. Very enjoyable!

Julie Brandon gives us a creative ten minute play about trusting your intuition. In this case, it's a matter of life and death, as Bella points out to herself in the fogbank of a medically induced coma. This is a very clever way to expose a would-be murderer.

The Son of God working at the mall? Maybe, maybe not, but in Bray's Christmas farce, it makes little difference. The simple message of "you can be whoever you want to be" is delivered with plenty of wit and no shortage of silliness. This ten minute comedy is a great fit for any evening of Christmas weirdness and fun.

This lovely ten minute play will have you hoping for a re-coupling, even as you know it's not to be. Bluestein-Lyons does an excellent job of showing that sometimes, even when both people are well intentioned, relationships don't always work...even when it feels like they should.

Here is another terrific, suspenseful ten minute play from Chris Soucy. The tension is masterfully built, and doesn't boil over until the last line of the play. This play would be a wonderful addition to any evening of horror and/or suspense.

I highly recommend this wonderful short play from Phillip Middleton Williams. Today's headlines meet the headlines of yesteryear via a very clever tilt. The witty dialogue moves the play along, with lines that are sometimes subtle and sometimes frank. In the end, Williams does a brilliant job of demonstrating that too much freedom is perhaps a prison of its own.

If "Sunset Blvd" had a love-child with a Russian doll, it would be this meta concoction from Brent Alles. I appreciate that while there is wild, surreal humor throughout, Mary's aching for relevance feels completely authentic. Read it once to appreciate the skilled writing. Then smoke up some of that skunky "Fonda", and read it again for the silliness.

This lovely short play shows a scenario that many of us have thought about - connecting with our younger selves. In this case, Deb Cole manages to intersect foreboding with soothing comfort to create a heartwarming scene. The subtle approach enhances both the drama and the heartache.

As a character in this play (however small the part), I am honored. I also applaud Busser for having the tremendous good sense to keep himself out of it. That being said, I laughed at everything except the laugh lines I was given. Busser knows re-incorporation and puts that skill to great use in the blended genre smoothie. You don't have to be a member of Playwrights Thriving to appreciate Busser's hilarious writing...but it doesn't hurt.