Recommended by Ian Donley

Scott Sickles does a masterful job of writing about an intimate sexual moment but underlining it with nuance that proves that sex in itself is more than gratuitous.

Scott Sickles continues the story between two boys figuring themselves out and adds more relatable nuances to them while still giving them their individuality.

Coming to terms with one's sexual orientation during your adolescent years is one of the most awkward and difficult parts of growing up. Scott Sickles does an excellent job at addressing that head on through this realistic and humorous portrayal of two boys who come to realize they just may need each other to get through it.

Ryan Vaughan delivers on offering a compassionate look at a parent who will do anything to protect their child.

This monologue tugged my heartstrings. Every creative can relate to how their art has been at one point their lifeline when life was too much to handle. Janine Sobeck Knighton captures that feeling wonderfully.

I'm not even a huge Beatles fan (I know... blasphemy), but you don't have to be in order to enjoy this play. At its core, it's a story about dementia and the slow progression of it, symbolized by one man's core memory of enjoying a strawberry as a child. Evan Baughfman uses an abundance of creativity to balance the nostalgia and science fiction elements of the play.

This is a very heartwarming play with a creative title! This would go well for a short play festival for families.

This is a sweet short play about overcoming anxiety through imagination. The concept of having her toy push Ada into playing with the other kids is creative. This would be great for a family-friendly play festival.

Usually with plays about puppets, they either go mushy or dark (with no in-between). Brenton Kniess is able to find it the perfect middle ground: absurd and heartwarming. It’s the combination I never knew I needed to see.

I love when playwrights have the courage to adapt Shakespeare and put his work into a modern frame (like James Ijames' "Fat Ham" a few years ago). Like Ijames, Marshall Logan Gibbs has breathed new life into another one of Shakespeare's known tragedies. Gibbs' script brilliantly satirizes the people that have this 21st century desire of seeking fame at whatever cost, and what happens when they get their much-needed poetic justice.