Recommended by Tom Moran

You wouldn't expect a 10-minute piece about a Jewish space laser to plumb the depths of the semitic soul, but Blevins takes that route here, and does it well too. She takes an absurd premise and treats it with a winning mixture of humor and gravitas, all leading up to a cliffhanger ending. What a fun read.

I just heard this on the "Stories Found" podcast and enjoyed the heck out of it. It's an absurd, silly, very fun piece well-suited to the audio format, as its zombie combat sequences (not to mention makeup) would be a bear to actually stage. The script also gives some actors a chance to really ham it up. Definitely worth a listen.

A wonderful bit of absurdity that keeps topping itself. Laced throughout with funny twists and some truly great one-liners ("Look, ma'am, it's your word against Satan's"), it's a joy to read. Also plays itself out nicely with a stellar last few moments.

A clever, witty, brisk two-hander (or rather one-hander with a voice-over) about two down-on-their-luck bros who forge a connection under the most unlikely of circumstances. Nicely drawn and believable characters, crisp dialogue and well-plotted escalation make this a fun read (and no doubt performance) from start to finish.

A fully-thought-provoking, totally on-the-nose satire, Billionaire Mindset succeeds in every possible way. Crackling dialogue, memorable characters that manage to be both individuals and types, and a satisfying and inevitable plot arc make this one satisfying throughout. Well-deserving of its Samuel French nod.

What a great vignette! Two memorable characters, a strong setup, tons of great laugh lines, and escalating circumstances make this a pleasure to read. I expect a couple of actresses with good comic timing could really knock this out of the park.

I was sad to miss this at the Valdez Theatre Conference and glad to find it here instead. What a solid, affecting, nuanced play. The characters are all relatable and believable, the situation is expertly crafted, and the naturalistic language is wonderful, from the therapy jargon through the expertly placed pauses and interruptions. What these characters go through is all terribly real, and all really terrible.

A fun, charming Valentine's Day encounter. The two characters are well-drawn and Seinuk does a fine job parsing out backstory and creating believable and concrete arcs for both. It's also a very fun premise with some great angry protest lines. Very appropriate for any holiday-themed festival, or an evening of plays about (fractured) romance.

For a one-minute play, this has a lot going for it: a clever premise, character development and a solid twist at the end. Can't ask for much more in sixty seconds!

The travails of Little League dads are often played for laughs, but I've never seen it used so effectively as a basis for drama before. Gearhart's Manager is a wonderfully three-dimensional character, a man so lost in his own life he pins all of his dreams on his son - who, as sons do, has needs and aspirations of his own that get trampled in the process. Engaging and relatable from start to finish.