Recommended by Aly Kantor

Okay, this is FUN. I love it when a semantic loophole gets a character out of hot water, even if the water was only ever tepid at best! The play itself is loaded with shocking, silly, and smart humor that comes fast and furious from beginning to end - a VERY dense and efficient comedy, considering the page count! The twist (like the truth) is utterly delicious, with a spectacular moment of highly theatrical chaos that, while brilliantly left to the audience's imagination, designers will have a blast figuring out! A fun, messy, and very smart horror-comedy!

Alles has taken a fairly dense and wordy short story and somehow adapted it into a quick-moving, well-paced, and even funny audio play! I love the way the structure of the piece focuses on a single perspective at a time, ranging from schoolboys to cagey old veterans, so that the audience must decide who is a reputable narrator as they go, adding an additional level of engagement. I also particularly like the sneaky framing device introduced at the end, which left me with an eerie feeling - a really nifty nudge to those familiar with Wells' most famous broadcast!

The language in this play is gorgeous, to the extent that the Shakespearean dialogue brilliantly and effectively incorporated throughout never stands out as dissonant! I love how even as we see and hear Mary's traumatic hallucinations, she's consistently the sanest person in any room—at least when the room is full of men who are eager to dismiss and disenfranchise her. Structurally, this is a strong play, with a steady build of tension that kept me thoroughly engaged as the story progressed. The ending is beautifully cathartic and moving. Imagining the gorgeous, haunting final soundscape gave me chills!

Sir Francis Bacon WHO? This clever, highly theatrical romp begins as a playful argument between two erudite spouses, but the fun comes in through glimpses of the imagined past. I'm sure production teams will love creating the jarring, comedic contrast between the two time periods - and I know actors will love embodying Miss Shakespeare herself, donning the disguise before our eyes! The clever premise behind this play is sure to start a lot of discussions during intermission at any short play festival!

Who knew a play about interstellar portals could be relatable to the average reader? At its core, this is a story about making decisions and the way we always fear the unknown, even when taking the first step might lead to brilliant things... because there's always the possibility, however scant, that it won't. At the same time, there is a lot of strong world-building packed into this tiny play, with an intriguing sci-fi premise that hooked me from page one. This short is simple, human, and moving.

They say, "Write what you know," and compelling, grounded genre plays like this one are why that's sometimes good advice! Leave it to an engineer to construct an engaging play featuring a load-bearing "math party trick!" Luckily for readers, this engineer is also a phenomenal playwright, presenting specific characters in a grounded sci-fi world that's easily staged but ripe with opportunities for theatricality. My favorite part, however, is that it's ultimately a love story driven by people over concepts. Plus, it's funny as heck! If you are looking for smart sci-fi for the stage, you're looking for this play!

This taut two-character play would be a fight choreographer's dream. The interpersonal story at the center propels the action, allowing the bodies of the virtuosic performers to create high-stakes theatricality before the audience's eyes. It's painfully obvious how desperately Bridget wants to impress her coach, and with actable objectives this clear, the role of Bridget would be a dream for younger performers learning to make strong choices for the stage. As a reader, I loved the wonderful reversal at the end, which recontextualized everything that came before so elegantly and efficiently!

This play is populated by a delicious array of women who are allowed to be angry, petty, cringey, broken, and messy...and I love it! The dialogue is refreshingly naturalistic, but it's the profoundly evocative stage directions that really sing. All the subtle interpersonal relationships come together like an intricate ballet, even as the characters remain stuck in place throughout. Plus, it's broadly relatable - even if your "obsessive thing" wasn't running, it was SOMETHING. Directors and designers will LOVE solving the theatrical problems presented here, and I'd kill to see the creative solutions they come up with!

When you choose parenthood, you are engaging in an act of creation, and as in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, you must accept that the life you create ceases to become yours once it opens its eyes. This eldritch horror story for the stage is compelling because, despite the prophecies and mad science, it's painfully, profoundly human (and did I mention riotously funny?). Every twist and turn is carefully planned with an impressive level of skill, putting the audience in the shoes of the characters as the world falls out beneath them again and again. Subversive, hopefully, sharp, and strange! Loved it!

I caught a performance of this memorable piece at Gi60 2024, and audiences loved it! The dialogue was sharp, funny, and relatable, providing ample opportunities for the performers to make strong character choices—impressive given the length of the play! The final twist, paired with an evocative sight gag, is gorgeously set up and really makes you feel for two women you've known for less than 60 seconds! A tight, complete, funny, and ultimately bittersweet play, masterfully crafted!