Recommended by Tom Moran

A well-sculpted play built on two strongly drawn characters and an intriguing premise. Lots of credit for it not going where I expected.

A quiet, understated, deeply human piece about tackling a particularly painful type of separation and grief. Solidly made and quite affecting.

A well-put-together bit of family bonding, told through the POV of a mom escorting her uninterested kids to one of the Great Plains' more famous roadside attractions. SIskind does a great job of introducing real substance and character arcs into a brief one-sided exchange. I also appreciated the many actions and external references in the piece - it's more of a one-sided dialogue than a monologue, which keeps it brisk and absorbing. Well done.

The one-liners keep coming in this hysterical retelling of one of Hamlet's key scenes. I enjoyed the variety of the humor: a great combo of Jewish references, plays on Shakespeare's language, and logical questions about some of Hamlet's plotholes. It would be fun to see this staged, but this is also one of those plays that's just as enjoyable to just read.

A funny, engaging take exploring one of the more fascinating corners of Craigslist (RIP, more or less.) The shifting dynamics in the piece keep it entertaining as it speeds toward a conclusion that feels both surprising and inevitable.

Both hilarious and horrifying, "Come Back Right's" greatest accomplishment isn't its fascinating escalation of resurrection scenarios, it's how it concludes by bringing everything back to its human core.

The comparison between the DMV and damnation is a rich one, and Syran does a great job mining it for laughs in this fun piece. It's hard to make a reader feel sympathy for the devil (as it were) but this play pulls it off, as even the Prince of Darkness' cruelty pales before that of this bureaucratic nightmare.

A hysterical retelling of Hamlet in which Hamlet takes a perfectly reasonable approach to his father's order to avenge his death. The perfect blend of reverence and comedy with a believable arc and a wonderful coda.

I had the pleasure of reading in this piece at the Valdez Theatre Conference, and was struck by its originality, vitality, and verve. I mean, it's a weird play, but one that really comes to life with a willing cast and receptive audience, both of which were present in abundance at the conference. Equal parts whimsical, visceral, and disturbing, it leaves a real impression on the page and would no doubt be even more impactful in a full production.

AN engaging and unique 15-minute piece: a lesson in the deeply problematic economics of crowdsourcing, wrapped up in a fascinating set of off-kilter characters. This was really fun to read and would make for a production equal parts thought-provoking and manic.