Recommended by Josh Gauthier

A powerful journey across years in which mundane and life-shattering moments sit side by side, a vulnerable look at the cycles of giving and receiving care that make up what it means to be human. Lovely and sincere, Helms lays bare so much humanity across these pages.

I picked this one up for the title and was not disappointed by what followed. Dark, absurd, and very funny, these two reindeer with carnage in their wake will have to find a way out of the Public Domain and away from a collection of cameos and references by finding a way to leverage Christmas magic against pending murder charges. There's a whole world of wonder here that would be delightful to bring to life on the stage.

There's so many elements here--a breakup, high school lunch, possibly the end of the world--and somehow Weaver brings them all together into a wholesome and hopeful discussion of tuna fish that sits alongside the melancholy of endings and the possibility of new beginnings.

Such a short piece, but a striking look into the struggles of a person seeking healthy connection without losing themselves. The voice feels real, but it's a struggle I suspect many audience members will relate to in their own way.

Packing a punch in just a short span, Cathro's 37 Origami Bees is a heartfelt snapshot of a relationship, a misunderstanding, and a sincere attempt at rekindling something that may be fading. It's a trick to capture so many layers of emotion in so few pages, but this piece pulls it off.

With rapid-fire dialogue and an escalating series of misunderstandings, Snowbirds delivers a humorous tumble of characters, each making an effort to enjoy a warm Miami holiday.

A fascinating short piece full of potential for the stage. ydnaM taps into some very primal fears and visceral sensations, through a monologue, unfolding a situation that goes from bad to worse as Mandy comes to realize just how horrifying of a situation she now finds herself in.

It's a wild premise, but Martin plays it with the perfect balance of seriousness and absurdity, layering in an abundance of puns to this clash of wills between two cops and the bowl of ice cream caught in a web of mob interests and off-the-record interrogation techniques. A delightfully fun read that would also play to great amusement on a stage.

A monologue rich in character and emotion, that takes a personal moment and finds universality and relevance in this short moment shared with a woman who just wants to know that her grandson is well.

The title and description mostly tell you what your in for with this one, but with a bit of banter and a bit of social commentary, Norkin delivers a snappy little play that delivers humor and fun, not only in the stool jokes, but also in the sometimes tense friendship that emerges between these two engaging pigeons.