Recommended by Dan West

Two WWII German truck drivers are forced to confront the reality of who and what they are transporting and resulting acts that they are they are complicit in. One of them does everything he can to hold fast to his ignorance while the other finds no longer can ignore it. And neither can we, their audience. A powerful and haunting short piece.

Really? A farcical comedy about the fall and rebirth of a sex and drug-driven death cult and the fate of those it leaves behind? Yep. And a damn funny one, too. Two sole survivors of a Kool-Aid mass suicide seek a new path to spread their Dear Leader's message to those he left behind only to find that being shepherds to the masses ain't all it's cracked up to be. Not only will the story of Happy Havens Church of Higher Enlightenment crack you up, but it will leave you thinking as well.

Three nameless characters in a relentless rat race where you either keep up or (literally) die trying. What happens when one starts to fall behind? How long before they will start to question whether their own fates - inevitable or not - are truly beyond my control? There are not many plays that make me pause and reflect on my own place in life, especially plays this short. This one did.

Two strangers meet on the evening train commute home where they share gummy worms, a conversation, and (finally) a decision that may be either trivial or life changing. This concise and smartly written short play is a platonic example of the form and would be a perfect addition to any 10-minute festival or evening of one acts.

A heartfelt paean to aging, and times and places lost. Two elderly gay men reflect on progress made and the cultural monuments lost to that progress. Sometimes the things we leave behind have just as much value as those that we achieve (perhaps more.). Well written and thoughtful.

An intriguing exploration of Art and Idol Worship. What does the artist owe the worshiper? Anything? An explanation? Their scorn? Two college students seek out an unfinished webseries creator for their own collegiate project and to get the conclusion that they have been waiting years for; but end up with a mass of human wreckage and even more unfinished business.

The object of tha play’s obsession tells us that “Truly fragile people could never make art”. Gnat Frye is anything but fragile.

Collie is caught in the midst of an unwelcome “reunion” with the long abandoned high school “friend” group and must deal with her sense of betrayal and desire to escape the past they represent whichever at the same time saving a truer friend who is at the end of his rope.

I really love the mood of existential despair and ennui/anomie in this play. These characters have all be through a lot with life and their inabilities to express themselves says more than any clear articulation could.

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Who’s afraid of Truman Capote? After an 18 year absence, the author of In Cold Blood show up ant the door of his childhood friend Harper Lee. Is he there to make amends and rekindle their lost friendship or is he looking to settle some unfinished business? This intense Albee-esque dialectic explores the relationship between these two famed writers and asks whether the deepest bonds of youth can survive the challenges of professional jealousy and the truth. The ending is a kick in the gut.

This intense two-hander features an adult son arriving to rescue his cognitively impaired father from a coming supercell storm. While the son tries to talk sense into his old man to seek shelter, the question becomes whether their share history of familial discord will destroy them before the tornado does. This powerful and tightly-drawn short piece is sure to strike a cord with anyone that has had to suffer through a parent's mental decline.

Hotel Prescott is the most haunted place in town with half a dozen spirited spirits unable to check out, until Destiny arrives to hear their tales and help them open the door to the next world. Clay Smith' play is both poinient and funny and sure to be an audience pleaser.