Recommended by Jack Seamus Conley

“Brian’s Poems” is a touching and humorous tribute to a person long past but not forgotten, and the subject matter is treated with a wonderful level of thoughtfulness and care. The pacing and dialogue are excellently crafted and feel at once naturalistic and poetic, and the characters all feel relatable and whole. This is a beautiful piece of work.

Clever, quick-witted, and entirely hilarious. Had me laughing out loud the whole time I was reading, and feeling endeared to both of the characters (who would have known Death could be so likable)? The script also touches on some deeper philosophical topics surrounding death and life/afterlife without taking away from the comedy elements or feeling too heavy. Brilliantly written and definitely highly recommended.

"Wishes" is an endearing, funny, and heartfelt take on the concept of a "do-over." I loved the characters and found myself rooting for them. Excellently done. Would love to see this performed!

"Keep the Music Going" is a moving, reflective piece featuring relatable and realistically developed characters, an unlikely friendship, and a vividly developed world. Steven Hayet makes brilliant use of the digital medium and captivates audience attention from beginning to end, keeping us wondering what will happen next to Jessica and Lory. The heartbreaking yet hopeful note it ends on is just the icing on top. Beautiful work, and I'd love to see it produced someday.

Beneath the ice is an edge-of-your-seat thrilling piece that provides plenty of twists (I particularly didn’t see the ending coming!) and a lot of vivid imagery that is sure to firmly capture the attention of reader and audience alike. The pacing and dialogue were strong, and each one of the roles would be great fun for an actor to step into. This would be a wonderful addition to a short play festival and I’d love to see it produced.

“Lou and Bud Kill Their Dad” is a haunting dark comedy that leaves you thinking about so much in such a short span of time. The dialogue is masterfully paced with vivid imagery and impeccable depth of character, and it leaves you both understanding the central characters and wanting to know more. DAN TANUBE has artfully laid bare the sometimes gritty intersections of trauma, freedom, and the drastic measures people can be driven to to get there. I especially loved the monologue work. Beautiful, would love to see it produced. Well done!

This beautiful one minute play is vivid in its imagery, poetic in its language, and powerful in its subject material. With “Citrus Fruits,” ANDREW SIAÑEZ DE LA O renders an incredibly moving discussion of memory, grief, and nostalgia for times past, managing to fit an impressive amount into a short space without compromising artistry or form. I would love to see this performed— it’s a piece that will stick with me for a while. Beautifully done.

Wow. Just wow. This is a striking, powerful, and vivid play, beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted. Every once in a while you find a script that makes you think: “this says something that absolutely needed to be said, but I didn’t know how it could be said until this moment… and this is how.” This is that script. Read it, publish it, produce it. I’d definitely love to see this performed.

Gray’s “See, This Is Why I Hate Plays” is a sharply funny and self-aware meta-commentary on plays and playwriting. Gray makes excellent use of a crucial balance between fourth wall breaking and immersion in meta-theater that is hard to achieve, and the results are very entertaining. This would make an excellent addition to a short play festival. Nice work!

“Samantha’s Friend” is a short thriller in the best sense: compelling, unsettling (in a great way), and keeps you guessing until the end. I loved how the characters and world were so fully realized, and the interactions, especially between Samantha and her mother, were complex and deeply, clearly realized. The scene setting is also masterful, and the anticipation of wanting to know what’s happening with the “friend” builds beautifully throughout the piece as well. Would love to see this produced, and it would also make a terrific short film. Wonderful work.