Recommended by Dan West

Three sisters gather during the COVID pandemic to shuck corn and discuss ponies, crabs, and Toby Jugs (but not politics, never that.) In a world where the wine has less value than hand-sanitizer and Al Anon and QAnon have become interchangeable, how exactly do we get down to the core of communicating what really matters? The subtext does the heavy lifting here; and, in the capable hands of Nora Louise Syran, it does a great job of it.

Edwin Socrates is a man with a method. Quite an effective method, one might add. But it is a method that, despite its success, gets under the skin of his peers and managers at Athenia, Inc. So far under their skin that some of them will do just about anything in their efforts be rid of him. In this hilariously clever short comedy, our later day Socrates must use his “method” to fend off assaults from both HR and AI before they can escort him the way of his namesake.

Gary Wilkins loves math; but math (as it were) does not love Gary Wilkins. And, as the head of his university’s mathematics department, it is up to Dr. Garst to find a gentle way to shatter Gary’s dreams - whether he is willing to accept it or not. James Teller shows off a fabulous wit and creativity in this expertly crafted short play about destinies unrealized and wrong paths followed. Wilkins Theorem (both the play and the postulate) is comedic winner.

Something is coming between Charlotte and Steven. Something big, and heavy, and undeniable (to one of them at least). Will they be able to find a way to communicate before their lives (and their kitchen) are destroyed by The Elephant in the Room. This savvy absurdist farce pulls out all the stops to great effect and delivers on its promise with both humor and aplomb.

This macabre short play about two teenage girls, a tattered doll, and invitation to play games in a dark and dusty attic will give chills to anyone that remembers the Slender Man stabbing from a decade ago. A vividly written and expertly executed (not pun intended) modern-day penny dreadful that absolutely delivers the goods.

Is “creepyfun” a word? Well, if it’s not, it should be. The deftly crafted short play about a family dinner interrupted by ethereal visitors that only Grammy can hear is the definition of creepyfun. I really enjoyed this.

Jack Levine's "The Forgetful Storyteller" is that rare character-centric piece that hits all the right buttons, drawing you fully into the lives and trials of it multi-generational family of protagonists as they deal with growth, aging, career, and the ultimate loss of a loved one to the tragedy of dementia. Watching the journey of the patriarch, David, as he fights to protect his loved ones while struggling with his own cognitive decline is the true gut punch of the best kind.

Broadcast live and world-wide, two zany hosts present a game show of global consequences as three renown contestants compete to see who gets the honor of a final exit. This darkly absurdist take of reality TV and transnational power dynamics, will leave audiences shaking in their seats - in laughter and perhaps a touch of outrage. In the end, you’ll be rooting for all three to “win”.

Toska is a true believer, fully prepared (and honored) to be sacrificed to her bloodcult’s flesh craving deity. Irik is Toska’s lover, determined to stop the proceedings. And in a gory denouement that is not for the faint of heart, all in attendance quickly learn that sometimes it requires much more than just faith to sate a god’s hunger. It takes Daniel Prillaman just 17 pages to build out a fully believable and dimensional religious mythology - and then to thoroughly horrify us with it. Well done.

The Zombie Apocalypse has arrived and the fate of humanity is left to…these three? The trio of young but virile characters in Ben Plopper’s short romantic/horror comedy are faced with pending doom, with all hope relying on their ability to get out of their own ways while they sort out the various amorous dynamics of any potential love triangle. Can they get it figure out before the zombies arrive? The future has never been so bleakly entertaining.