Recommended by John Medlin

"Run you fools. You beautiful fools" has got to be one of my favorite short play moments in a while. This play is great. The dialogue is zips back and forth in a fun way. The heroes stole my heart at once. John Mabey really knocked it out of the park with this one.

Absurd, witty, and an all-around great time. "Table for Thirteen" is a clever monologue great for any comedic performer.

Part cross-examination part therapization, "A Little Lamb" is a deftly written tit-for-tat by Ricardo Soltero-Brown. Saar and Leslie's conversation dances between tense and darkly comic. This piece would be a joy to act in and is a good fit for any one-act festival you may have planned.

Growing up gay in a conservative small town is a dangerous and scary thing. The fear of being outed hangs like an omen. Unfortunately, that leads to things happening in secret. "Best Friends" is a play about one of those moments. Donald Baker's play is sincere with its execution. Eddie and Danny are beautifully drawn characters just trying to make the best out of a messy situation. The dialogue flows smoothly and their struggle is relatable. This play serves as a reminder of the importance of being able to talk about sexuality and safe sex practices. It's a wonderful piece!

Growing up and growing old sometimes feels like navigating a minefield. It's a shame that so many of the perils on the road to self-discovery are placed by society. Of others telling us who we should and shouldn't be. The protagonist in this piece looks back on their journey. Their reflections are relatable. It is wonderful that we live in a world where artists can be vulnerable enough to share deeply personal feelings like this monologue, but it's a shame the pain this piece is rooted in is from that same world. This is a great piece for queer artists.

Honestly, I would be weirded out in "Malcom's in Here" 's situation as well. A great bit is set up here that would be a joy to perform.

I have a feeling Edmund is going to turn out fine. Barbarian is an eerie tale that I would love to see on stage. The pacing is precise. The characters are nuanced and threatening. I love this take on the vampire myth. Daniel Prillaman has shown their expertise in building tension in this short play. I highly recommend it for any one act festival.

Hart Island is a fun supernatural piece with quite a few twists and turns in its short run time. The setting of Hart Island is unsettling. The two spirits without faces haunt the shadows of the stage in a way that capitalizes on the nature of theatre. There's the opportunity for stage combat for those looking to flex their stage-fighting muscles. All in all, it's a great short piece great for spooky season.

Toda (If Not Now) is an excellent short piece about unexpected meetings. Jacob does a great job establishing the lore of this world quickly. I enjoy a piece that can do clever things with myths, and Toda does that wonderfully with the vampire. Its a great read and a solid selection for a one-act festival.

Sometimes the same fight just seems to happen again and again. You keep hoping the outcome will change, but every time the three of swords comes out and it's back to the trenches. You can sense the lingering tension between the two characters in this play. The longing they have to make things better, but the inability to combat the past and the future. This is a solid short piece fit for any one act festival.