Recommended by Aly Kantor

After stumbling over one of these delightful shorts, I was so happy to see that the full collection of plays was together in one place! This anthology is a gift for classroom teachers, with funny, romantic, emotional, and compelling roles for student actors and directors—and, with all the history and landmarks scattered throughout, even fledgling dramaturgs! Each of these short plays is rich with atmospheric detail that transports the reader across the USA without the need for fancy sets. A few stand-out favorites for me were Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. What a stupendous, ambitious collection!

Great minds think alike, even when those minds seem very different at the outset! This sweet love story about two specific yet familiar characters involves a surprising and hilarious reversal that will leave you grinning. I really appreciated all of the colorful environmental details that will surely transport audiences to the tulip festival, whether or not the piece is fully produced with sets and props.

Delusions are terrifying, and serving as the caretaker for an individual with a psychotic condition is a major responsibility. This short piece presents two characters in this unique relationship with grace before flipping the premise on its head and forcing the reader to question everything. The reversal is jarring but effective, forcing the audience to confront what it must have felt like to be in these characters' shoes! It's heartfelt and genuine, with room for humor and surprise, making it a fun ride for an engaged audience.

The strict, cult-like world of DeFrates' "Lost Children" Universe somehow manages to produce some colorful, wholly unique characters - all of whom struggle against the chains that bind them to their unconventional lifestyle, sometimes literally. This piece introduces us to two characters at the end of the line and, ostensibly, the end of their lives, exploring regrets and missed opportunities through a sad, hopeful roleplay scenario. It's a lovely meditation about the things we do when there's nothing left to do - the ways we continuously cycle through life, creating and finding meaning, even at the end of the world.

Dramaturgically, the way to tell a story about climate change is to shrink it. This is a tiny story about big issues, in which the stakes are intimate and personal - the "big issues" are LITERALLY the background noise to the profoundly human story of Marina, the most likely unlikely prophet. In the end, "Come Again" is a sharply funny, smart, and searingly ironic parable about the ways we twist the narrative to avoid discomfort—and a compelling argument for facing our fears for the greater good. It's a painful, hopeful, honest, and fast-moving piece that doesn't slow down.

As soon as I read the character descriptions, I knew I was in for a good time! There are so many fun details - from the unexpectedly young, feminine "St Peter" using phrases like "Oh god" and "Ah, bless!" to the onslaught of quick, witty banter that never quite lets up, to... the birds! And, just when you think you've reached the peak of comedy... you're... weeping!?? This play is a long but efficient trip through MANY emotions, with a structure that mimics the protagonist's own journey. It's a goofy, glorious, deeply-felt little play!

This character-driven comedy had me at the title and only got better from there! On the meta-level, it's a super engaging script: what is the "typical clown story?" Is this a subversion, or do we just think it is? On the technical and craft level, it's a downright hoot! The dialogue is consistently hilarious, with a few fantastic, laugh-out-loud zingers. It has great roles for an older actress and a young girl - in fact, there isn't a single small role in the play. Ultimately, it's filled with a surprising amount of pathos for a backstage comedy about clown yearning!

This quiet, deeply felt moment between friends might take place in an apartment building, or purgatory, or on a precipice - a place where to move up and on would be invigorating... if only they knew for sure they could fly. In the meantime, these two friends reflect on the subtle, terrifying transitions taking place around them through an easy shorthand that could only come from familiarity. It's clear that DeFrates sees these characters as clearly as they see one other. This strong, charming vignette stands alone but holds extra meaning as part of the Lost Children theatrical universe.

I streamed this play with AO3 and Tumblr open in my other tabs, and I felt very seen! I was particularly taken by the cadence of the funny, naturalistic dialogue in this high-stakes dramatic comedy. At its core, it's a found family story about two queer teens with very little true agency who are longing for safety. There was a fun sense of "will they-won't they' throughout as the events on stage echoed the anticipated events in "Mythical." The pain of being a hormonal teenager was tangible, with a beautiful final moment that felt real, deeply motivated, and well-earned.

This is such a sweet, hilarious father-daughter story in which the carefully placed strained silences say just as much as the snappy, clever dialogue. At first, the generational gap between these two well-drawn characters seems impossible to cross, but despite their strained relationship, they don't give up. In the tensest moments, the hilarious Janice keeps things light, helping steer this odd couple back on the right path. The piece is tender at even the tensest moments. It's relatable, familiar, and incredibly human, with a warm, emotional ending that suggests they were never quite as distant as they thought. Beautiful!