Recommended by Matthew Weaver

Martin's plays are always and forever full of humanity, and UNCOMFORTABLE is no exception. Here, he dares us to look at ourselves and how we respond when face-to-face with desperation and despair in an every day situation. An incredibly moving, and yes, uncomfortable, and unflinching minute-long play - it will be the audience's turn to flinch. GOOD.
A must for any one-minute play festival, but any festival producing plays of any length will find much reason here to include this play in their programming.

Powerful and moving, which should be no surprise if you've been paying attention to O'Grady's writing. Here the late Persephone helps her widower husband and her best friend move on with their lives, for the sake of her son Sam, for the sake of two people she loves.
But it's more complex than that. (Also no surprise for we O'Grady enthusiasts. Join us!) PERSEPHONE is equal parts grounded in reality, a ghost story of sorts and totally heartfelt.
This play is a lovely embrace from the playwright, for those of us who mourn, and for those of us who live.

The little details matter in this thoroughly pleasant outing. From Chris ordering pizza and changing the toppings to suit coworker Loralie - a masterpiece in miniature -to the BIG STUFF that comes out over the course of the play ... the entire thing is a pure delight from start to finish.
Bailey's characters are kind, thoughtful people full of humanity we would be happy to spend time with no matter what they're doing. Lord knows we could all use more of this.
I would watch an entire play devoted to Mrs. Davidson and her cat, Felix. Entitled RELATIVE HUMIDITY, preferably.

I love this! A perfect element to sprinkle throughout your spooky play festival with enough puns to delight even the most un-pun-enthusiastic. A darling idea, leading to the only ending possible. Tres cute!

Partain takes all the best of sci-fi/action/horror movies and stories, strips away all of the unnecessary parts and then brings in her signature flair for high emotion to deliver a love letter to humanity and its capacity for tenderness even in the grip of certain doom.
Also, this play is a smorgasbord to any technical team that's been sitting around bored, waiting, twiddling their thumbs saying, "Man, if only someone would give us something to Do."
Would love to see it staged - it would be a marvel - and highly anticipate plenty of opportunities very, very soon.

*sits down to type up play*
*sees new Emily Hageman monologue on NPX*
Oooh.
*reads*
Any diehard Hageman fan will know this playwright is SO GOOD at understanding how young men are. They can break your heart in so many ways, especially the fragile and the scarred. She also knows SO WELL that they can have a dark side, and here she shines a light on both halves. This play has some very rich, very dark undertones that should be discussed openly and honestly, particularly with young men who might identify.
In Miss Hageman they have the best possible advocate.

Quite possibly the most terrifying concept any play on New Play Exchange has to offer. I shudder in sheer terror at the prospect of this universe Sickles presents, with his usual razor-sharp wit and attention to detail, and join him in giving thanks that this undoubtedly handsome and humble chap, whoever he is, still walks among us, and hopefully will do so for a long time to come. (Not that I'm biased or anything.)

Carnes just lets loose and PLAYS with this play, and it is the purest delight to behold. Two guys in a hole, reliving past mistakes that led up to hear and fantasizing about what they'll do when they get out.
Oh, and there are some hysterical observations about giant sloths.
"Absurdist," sure. "Experimental," yes. But the words "wonderful," "adorable" also apply, albeit with the word "grimly" coming in at the start. SYZYGY is a gift.
It's as though Carnes took the entire DVD box set of LOST, ran it through a blender and is pouring out yogurt parfaits for all.

There are playwrights who dare to show us humanity's darkness and then there is Sickles, in a class by himself.
Sickles writes some of the best villains, ever; he knows all too well how to traverse blood-stained ground.
Daniel, Basyl and Miles break our hearts because they're so innocent, and then that innocence is lost or soon to be lost.
This is horrific, seductive, irresistible and so well-told. I honestly think it will be considered one of Sickles' finest works, in a vast collection of many fine works.
An unsettling pleasure to read.
A true tour de force.

Oh my word. Like all of Hageman's works, Mia and Liv are irresistible. I was hooked at "Why do you have a parrot on your shoulder ..."
That's a lie.
I was hooked at "by Emily Hageman," but if you're not familiar with her writing, you need to at least get to the parrot line. And then the slo-mo instant replay. And then ...
And then the stuff that's so important and necessary for your students to read/hear, the things that they are experiencing right now, TODAY, as you read this.
They need them. Now.
These words will save lives.