Recommended by Jennifer O'Grady

A lovely, surprising and ultimately hopeful play about intergenerational connection in the midst of bigotry and hate. With gentle humor and enormous humanity, Norkin’s play shows what can be done when people step up to make change. Everyone needs a bubbie like Sylvia!

Sickles' powerful, intimate and ultimately hopeful play explores a surprising connection between strangers as the central character struggles with his own past and truth and fears its potential impact on a new relationship. It's a testament to Sickles' great skill as a writer that I felt like I was listening to three people (not just characters) as they speak. The play gives so much to actors too. It's no wonder it won Know Theatre's Artistic Merit Award. More awards to come, I'm sure!

This beautiful, theatrical and hopeful short play exploring memory and love would make a fantastic addition to any play festival. It's already won Know Theatre's 2026 Best Play Award and should have even more awards in its future, given how skillfully and movingly it's been written. A lovely antidote for our times.

Weaver's delicate and profound play about love from the POV of two deceased pets is just so lovely and contains wonderful moments of sly humor too. Anyone who's ever lost a beloved cat or a dog will likely tear up as I did, but you don't need to have pets in order to be moved by this short play. This is a terrific piece for adult or younger actors, and for literally any audience. I'd love to see it on stage.

I love the spare taut dialogue in this funny and theatrical one act that explores perimenopause and impending divorce, along with soccer--or rather, once-sexy Italian soccer players. Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend writes female friendship so brilliantly that I long to hang out with Tiffany and Jessica, who feel both extremely fun and utterly truthful. A fantastic play about friendship that any audience would love.

This really clever one-act riff on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gives us three adults touring a makeup factory, along with two odd and surprising employees, and explores consumerism and societal standards of beauty through sharp witty dialogue and five delightful characters audiences will enjoy. So much fun!

Poetic and visceral, Syran's monologue utilizes, to powerful effect, the tactile and visual imagery of stones on a beach to explore loss and pain. Lingers long after reading.

With three delightful non-human (see title for a hint!) characters, hilarious dialogue and some really clever stage directions, Busser's ten-minute play centering a somewhat overenthusiastic mom is super-fun to read and would be even more fun to see on stage.

I love the surprising twist in this darkly comic one-minute play revolving around a man haunted by some unceasing Christmas carolers. So well done!

This short, behind-the-scenes look at pro wrestling, revolving around an older wrestler with a difficult choice to make, is both fascinating and moving. The fact that it's set on Christmas day makes the play a wonderfully unique choice for a holiday festival, but I'm sure audiences would enjoy it at any time of year.