Recommended by Toby Malone

A delightful short from Jack Levine that puts the egotistical community theatre actor in his place and demonstrates that if you follow the script and its emotional cues, most of the hard work is done. Plenty of fun and recognizable to anyone who's done any kind of community theatre!

A beautiful, intricately woven, lyrical short that could be about any long-term relationship in the world... until it's very clear that it isn't. Adding the brilliant condition of time and timelessness on to longing, ambition, and regret adds a melancholy sheen that intensifies as our couple scramble all the more desperately for what makes sense. Haunting and heartfelt, with a final stage direction to make you gasp.

This hit WAY too close to home, reading as I was at midterm time. The sense of student entitlement is strong in this one, written by a teacher and clearly bathed in the same exasperation any teacher feels when it's clear that they are dealing with someone who not only wants a free ride, but wants you to apologize for not making it easier. The twist at the end is a classic.

Time stops with three minutes to midnight and Father Time is summoned to answer to the fact that last year's New Year's Resolutions didn't come true, where it turns out that being Father Time is a way harder job than it seems. A really sweet, interesting take on our perpetual struggle with time, regret, and hope, where living in the moment is never quite as simple as it sounds.

Another lovely play from Jennifer O'Grady that cuts right to the heart of a situation we can all recognize: hanging on to something for some reason - stubbornness, fear, habit - but not really being able to articulate why you can't quite do it. It's enough to make you scream. Scream. The fridge is such a lovely character, so sweet and eager to please, but completely baffled as to why it never quite works right. In the end, this speaks to anyone who's ever cared for someone despite (or because of?) their flaws. Great stuff.

A beautifully intimate, painfully familiar scene that crackles with the unspoken and throbs with the far-away ache of loneliness and longing. That sense that ex lovers could hang out as friends and not allow the old affection to override the reason that the breakup happened in the first place, and wrestling with all the reasons why a new hookup would be a bad idea. The stage directions, in particular, are human and spot-on descriptions of those breathing moments as everyone overthinks everything but has nothing real to say. Terrific work.

I saw Maggie Lou's work at the Marsh International Solo Festival in 2020 and was blown away with how different 'Antoine at the Border' is from that character - beautifully nuanced but modern, tough, and relentless. This 'what if' story of a maybe-switcheroo is humorous, wise, and dynamic, with wit and intruge for days. Great work from a gifted and versatile writer.

A thoughtful, complex piece about mortality and how humans cope with a loss of control. When the world is supposed to end "sometime tonight", or at least that's what the guy on the news said, what do you do? Peer at the stars waiting for the collision? Or make the most of the time you have left? A nicely weighted existential quandary that has plenty to offer.

A beautifully realized exploration of grief, hope, and faith, written with a wry wit and a strong sense of structure. What might otherwise have been twee and predictable is a finely layered meditation on how we process loss.

A great short piece that asks real questions about identity and how we imprint ourselves on our names. Given the number of people on this earth, there's a really good chance someone out there shares your name: but what if that person rises to prominence as one of the most controversial and hated people in the country? Do you stick to your guns or do you disassociate? And what's the cost? This is sensitive, human, and the Bambi moment is a beautiful touch of texture. Great stuff.