Recommended by Eric Mansfield

The beauty of STAY is that it plants a seed in the audience's laps and then grows it slowly through the late-night intimate verbal volleyball between a mother and son. Maripat Allen's intent with this short drama isn't to surprise the audience but to take the viewers on a ride of anticipation waiting for the mother to ask THE question. This would make for a nice production with low-light and soft words, leaving the audience to wonder how they would handle the same overwhelming moments. Great work!

Jacquelyn has creative a thought-provoking short comedy with crisp, creative dialogue and a strong story. The stakes are raised throughout, and there is movement and interaction that will both engage the audience and keep the storyline moving with a quick tempo and some nice, feel-good moments too. With some easy effects and some willing, creative actors, this could be a lot of fun to bring to life. Worth your time to read!

Don Baker has crafted a short-yet-intricate play on words that is sure to make even someone reading it laugh out loud. A date with the devil? Well, if Roger can use Tinder, why not a demon from hell? if you've ever wondered how much fun and creativity you can create in just a few pages, just watch what Don does with these two characters. This would be a show stopper in a short play festival, so take a few minutes and read his amazing work. There will be "hell to pay" if you don't! lol.

'No Closets' reminds us all that teachers have thoughts. Deep thoughts. About their students and what they're going through in their development. Teachers are rarely allowed to really share their opinions let alone compare kids from their early teaching days to their modern classrooms. At least, they can't do it out loud. In 'No Closets,' Nora Louise Syran allows an actor the emotional to strip away the straight jackets that keep teachers from having real dialogue about the uncertainty they're seeing in the classroom while maintaining big government's hold on teachers who dare to be so brave.

A fun ride for an actress to inhabit. Would love to see Elisabeth's work performed because this short performance has a lot to love.

David Hansen is a master at planting important facts among subtle character interactions, which forces the audience to pay attention to the subtext. This story will have audience members guessing what will come next while still processing the moments they just witnessed. The short, delicate scenes of this drama lead up to an ending that will have us all looking for a bunny to save.

Julia Fisher delivers a tender-yet-compelling drama that connects well with the audience members who will feel themselves flashing back to their own conversations with a grandparent. The plot's joy comes not in the twist that the audience can feel coming, but that the twist is much, MUCH more satisfying than first foreshadowed. If performed well, the audience will certainly not be able to look away until the final moments. This story is sneaky good and so well written!

Rebecca Holbourn crafts a moment that all audience members have been through -- who is the last person to turn away when it's time to say goodbye? It's not just the timing of the turn, it's the emotions that come with it, and this short interaction tells a much longer story through the characters' moments of silence than many others do through their words.

David Hansen crafts a thought-provoking journey through the unwinnable position so many teachers find themselves in today. What is the best way to deal with hate when the whole class is watching? What will be the best short-term solution? What about the long-term lesson? Take a moment and latch on to this monologue that will give you something to think about long after you've logged off newplayexchance.

Jeni Mahoney writes a compelling interaction between two young mothers that swells and pays off in the end in an engaging way that will make most parents in the audience stop and think. Her characters are layered, and this script would set up actors to make great storytelling choices that would indeed make this a memorable production. Enjoyed it greatly.