Recommended by Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos

Sweet and bitter. Too hot then just right. Spicy but comforting. Gill has whipped up a wonderfully rich monologue that uses a traditional family recipe as a metaphor to convey the dysfunctional nature of a mother/daughter relationship. The descriptions of food and landscape are so vivid you can almost smell the aroma. With its depth of meaning and complexity of subtext, this monologue would be a potent piece for an Indian-American actor (female) to use at competitions.

What I appreciate most about this play is how well it captures the time and place of the characters. The “progressive-for-the-times” reminders of how shockingly behind the characters’ stances all seem now. And how much progress women and society have made since our mothers were on the front lines of the “revolution.” How will our daughters and granddaughters view us? Finely crafted characters – each so flawed and thoroughly relatable – draws the reader into the quick-paced, family dysfunction. Thanks Dana Leslie Goldstein for this strangely uplifting but bittersweet reminder - We’ve come a long way, baby.

When I saw this staged reading at the Clay & Water 2020 Playwrights' Retreat, I wouldn't have thought a play about Millennials would resonate so soundly with such a broad age group. But there they were, Millennials and Boomers laughing side-by-side. Zingy one-liners, inter-generational appeal, and a fun ensemble of characters make this play a delightful romp. Great choice for a college or community theatre production.

This piece - using a love triangle as its vehicle - feels deeply personal. Its lean dialogue crafted with surgical precision. Stylized and yet still moving, the play folds back onto itself to reveal a history that predicts the future. Gonzalez’ well-executed homage to a distinct style of theatre that adds its on originality to the canon. Well done.

It’s the end of the world as we know it (if only in NYC) and I feel fine! Normally, the dystopian subject matter in this snappy full-length play might lend itself to more somber political commentary – especially given the current state of political affairs in the U.S. But Gill turns our fears (whose realization become more plausible every day) into dark comedy. Relevant, smart, and a welcome respite for our times. Easy to produce. Solid roles for women and POC. Pour yourself a mimosa and enjoy the fall of the empire.

I saw a staged reading of this play at Clamour Theatre Company's Clay & Water 2020 playwright's retreat. Though set in the 80s, contemporary audiences will find much that resonates with current affairs, as well as some interesting contrasts between then and now. It takes on complex issues without being pendantic. Easy to produce and solid roles for college-aged actors, it's an excellent choice for a university production.

You can't anticipate what you might get into with one of Thal's plays, but it will be unlike anything you've known before. A master wordsmith, his full length monologue is a tale of fantastic tales piled one on top of the other and delivered by the pompous, larger-than-life Capitano, a character so ridiculous, so very full of himself, it's a wonder we can like him at all. But like him we do in spite of his Trumpian qualities. I would enjoy seeing this play in a dinner theatre. Godspeed to the actor cast as Capitano!

Oh, what we would tell ourselves if could talk to our 18 and 45 year old selves. I saw 153 at the 7th Annual 10 Minute Play Festival at the Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette. You might think having one character played by three actors separated only by the difference in their ages would be a difficult challenge but Martin gets it right. Each "age" is distinct in its concerns making for interesting exchanges and conflict. Martin is known for his uplifting scripts sometimes set in dark places. And we all need more of that. Easy to produce. Highly recommended.

I saw this piece performed at the Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette. Steve Martin is a poet. What starts as a wonderful weaving of luscious words and images builds into a moving, devastating portrait of a woman's mental decline. And we, the audience, are forced to bare witness. A powerful monologue full of depth for a middle-aged woman. Highly recommended!

A poetic imagining of a "Bertha" side story from JANE EYRE that explores the impact and consequences of pregnancy and abortion. Relevant to our times now.