Recommended by John Medlin

'Y & Z' is dripping with tension. You can feel the dread in the dialogue between Y and Z as Y tries to evade some unknown assailant. The ambiguity allows for the imagination to run wild with what is hiding in the darkness. Just when you think you're in the clear, Plumridge delivers a twist that is surprising and satisfying.

"Blood Pact" is a bite-sized horror great for any play festival in spooky season. It's a chilling reminder that sometimes people don't change, despite what they may say. The contract, or pact, of this relationship, is a fascinating one that I'm sure performers would enjoy bringing to life. The simple set makes it manageable for any budget.

Horror comedies are one of my favorite genres. "Playwrights Verses Zombies!" is an excellent example of why they can be so fun. The frantic tempo drives the audience into an apocalyptic world where the living dead roam hangrily about searching for brains... or wine. The comic bits are well set up. I'm sure it would be a joy to act in this one.

There comes a point in working on a story where the characters in the story start to take a life of their own. This moment is both terrifying and exhilarating. Heyman has managed to capture those extremes brilliantly in his play "Second Book Syndrome". Robert's struggle is deeply relatable as he wrestles with characters who quite literally have formed a life of their own. This piece is funny, relatable, and is paced wonderfully. Yet another great piece from Sam Heyman.

I enjoyed reading "Don't Believe Everything They Say". It's an excellent piece that comments on the performative activism so common in the world today. It touches on the "let's play by their rules" mentality that I'm sure many politically frustrated have had. Its humor is bleak but well-written. The characters are wonderfully realized. Their dialogue flows smoothly from one line to the next. Include this show in your next short play festival to, hopefully, push a person or two to action.

"The Green Door" is a cinematic short play about the call to adventure and fate's grip on us. The play is well written with dialogue that resembles the work of O. Henry. The world of the piece is wonderfully realized with details that point back to the story that inspired it. All in all, it was a great read that would be interesting to see on the stage.

Undertaking a possession story in ten minutes is no easy feat. Julia Barbee's crack at it is successful in its grotesque climax. There is wonderful tension in the second half of this piece. There is one bit with a rose that was particularly unsettling to me. Check out this piece if you're a fan of Evil Dead, The Conjuring, or other possession stories.

"The Ghost Tour" boasts an air of mystery surrounding Edward, the strange Victorian-garbed tour guide. Lou Jones has created a suspenseful piece. Jordan, Jessica, Anna, and Emma feel like the cast of a 90s horror flick. The style is like that of R.L. Stein or Alvin Schwartz. It is an enjoyable short play that can add a thrill to any one-act festival.

Sam Heyman really hit it out of the park with this one. "Tales From the Hill is an exceptional piece of queer drama. Each of the one-act plays intersects beautifully with one another. The character development is top-notch. It's serving "Heartstoppers". While they can be performed separately, these plays work so well together as well. Sam's writing is funny, heartwarming, and enthralling from start to finish. I could see "Tales From the Hill" being a hit with college theatre departments.

I went into reading this play pretty blind. I'm glad I did! Will Arbery has crafted characters that aren't often seen in theatre with such sincerity! I found myself on edge through most of this script thanks to the masterful dialogue and well-developed characters. The story yanked me immediately back to when I was in the evangelical church. The self-loathing of some of the characters was deeply relatable. The conversation on the conservative relationship with Trump is nuanced and fascinating. All in all, this is a piece of exceptional writing that belongs on the stage.