Recommended by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend

This play opens with a Little Caesar’s joke, and then quickly devolves into an Ancient Roman Jerry Springer episode- but with more highbrow jokes. (The Bentsen quote caught me off guard and was delightful!) The crowd’s reactions all along the way - sometimes hesitant, as they’re unsure what reaction would be appropriate in some moments - add an extra layer of silliness. This would be a fun, high-energy addition to any short play festival.

What I love about this dramatization of a Japanese folktale is the range of what’s included: there’s a talking turtle (whimsical!) but there’s also a box that Taro must never ever open under any circumstances (ominously mysterious!) This play will take you on a true journey, in every sense of the word, in under 10 minutes.

This short play is a lovely study on faith and doubt and the struggle between the two. I love the modern-day language of these two girls, and Phoebe's summary of the story of Jesus walking on water and Peter's attempt to join him: "Well, then I think he messed it up, because, you know, dudes." I would watch an entire full length play of these girls chatting about Jesus's adventures.

What a fantastic idea. This lovely adaptation of Pride and Prejudice incorporates songs that Jane Austen is known to have loved and played, making the story sit even more richly in its period and adding a new, delightful layer to a tale so many of us were introduced to in high school. This would be a perfect play for high schoolers to tackle, as it deals with source material they'll read in English class, and the cast of characters is large and rich. A great piece.

Wow, this took a couple turns I wasn't expecting! This play about a man confronting the man who abused him as a child is a quick, emotional read. Heavy but incredibly engaging, it deals not only with child abuse, but racism in America as well. With two characters and a single set, this would be easy to stage and prompt a lot of conversations on the way home. Very powerful.

A comedy in verse about the trials and tribulations of polyamory. What’s not to love? It’s amazing to me that this play manages to be so funny while also managing to rhyme - and in such clever ways! I can’t imagine how long this play took to write or how Jillian Blevins made the end result look so effortless. Amazing!

Vince Gatton always takes you on an unexpected emotional journey! This short about figuring out how to get that girl who doesn’t know you exist to notice and to love you is a wonderful study on boundaries, infatuation, and male entitlement. And also how often guys hear women but don’t listen to them (poor Mika basically repeats herself for ten minutes) - But with jokes and teenagers to keep it from being overly heavy, and to make the heavy moments hit harder. Such a great play!

I was on board with this from the moment I saw "A Note on Erections" underneath the character list and setting. Aly Kantor is so unbelievably great at adaptations which keep the original story but also feel relevant to today. This take on Lysistrata is smart and funny and uses donuts as a euphemism. What's not to love? The opportunities for physical comedy and visual jokes are ABUNDANT. For a good time at the theater, try this play.

Oh my gosh, what a beautiful play. It shows better than a lecture ever could how abortion is pro-life, how we wish we lived in a black and white world, but we exist in a series of grays and have to do what we can, where we are, with what we have to make things better. And every time the horrors of Gisella's situation become too much to bear, the Prophetesses come in and assure us that everything will be okay in the end. We could sure use them today. What a fabulous piece.

This short play is the rare and delightful issue play with jokes. An idealistic guy tries to course correct his life choices and hilarity ensues, even as the play points out the prevalence of greenwashing and the dangers inherent in the gift of the spin. I love it!