Recommended by Matthew Weaver

CUTE! What a fun, funny, romantic offering from Lawing. This would be hilarious to see two talented performers, a marvelous showcase for actors with killer timing. Deceptively complex; it's fascinating to see how Lawing layers the words for maximum impact. I particularly like how Sam the Christian is a little less enthused by Gus' knowledge and research in the moment of passion - and the need for a refresher course in the face of Gus' intensity. It all builds to a great moment of physical comedy that should leave audiences gasping in their seats. Lawing's short play is a gift.

Yes, Hageman's writing is hysterical, adorable, kind, thoughtful, versatile, pointed and wise. It's also important, and will become even moreso in the days and years and millennia ahead, as we move further into a society which embraces such qualities. If you're in a drama club that can't have any fun with an Emily Hageman play then GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE IT'S A TRAP AND YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER. A decidedly pro-woman, pro-kindness, pro-emotion revolution is coming, and Hageman is out in front, leading the charge.

I legitimately laughed out loud at the end of Watson's delightful play, which puts a lively spin on the fears of every expectant parent. Charlie and Angela have the conversation every parent has, or should have, about preparing their unborn kid for death, Santa Claus and treating life as a game. I particularly liked Charlie's thoughtful pause after suggesting Avarice. Angela: "We're not naming our baby after one of the seven deadly sins." Lots of good stuff here for performers to have an awful lot of fun and play good chemistry together. (Give it to a real-life couple!)

A rip-roaring farce that has the feel of the best of a good David Ives or Larry Gelbart script. Kareken (so good with 80 CARDS) here offers us foolish kings, wise spies in the form of slave girls, befuddled scribes, delightful eunuchs -- who occasionally step out of character to offer the audience apologetic addresses from the playwright himself, and the world is better for it. A treat to read; would be a gift to behold the rapid-fire dialogue delivered at its liveliest. If you'll pardon the Gerald, Kareken's satire is a dessert, sinfully rich and exquisite.

This short play is an excellent primer into what makes Burbano such a great playwright: She takes a deeper, more intimate look at major social issues with very appealing characters and drives home her point - often with humor, always with humanity and grace. Martin and Jacqui seek solace in the cold from her MAGA family, and we feel like we're sitting out on the porch with them. Or we wish we were. Any Burbano script in your festival or season is a sure bet.

Maybe the best thing I can add to the Recommendations already lovingly placed here that hasn't already been said is how I was waiting for the twist, the moment of darkness, the Monkey's Paw, and how delighted and relieved I was when Partain didn't go for that moment, but simply let these two characters be; and let us the audience revel in the moment we get to witness. There is magic in these words, but perhaps the most magical of all is the simple elegance that Partain uses to bring them to life. Astonishing and revelatory, deserving of each accolade.

Is it possible to write the perfect 10-minute play? If it isn't, Mullen comes damn close. He takes all the prickly arguments lesser minds might have for women, women in combat and women in love and answers them with love - not acceptance of those arguments - but love that says, "How could you be against this?" It's so moving to watch Quinn and Tom bond over shared experience and then, share in one more ... I fully expect to see this play performed, and recommended here on NPX, often. Mullen teaches a master class in how it's done.

Donnelly takes a good, hard look at the dark side of family life and offers a respite from all the tales of loving families coming together for the holidays. What do you do when reality doesn't quite live up to the Norman Rockwell picture? In Lillian, the mother, we have a portrait of determined strength and, yes, bravery, in the midst of heartache. In Audrey, the daughter, we have anger and fire. And in Dusty, Lillian's grandson and Audrey's son, we have a little bit of hope that everything could still end up OK. Never depressing; comforting in its realness.

A lovely, lively adventure between two strong young women, one from Honduras, one from Canada, who make their way out of Texas north to avoid ICE and seek shelter in Winnipeg. Yancey, always so good in everything he writes, here does a masterful job of telling a full, epic story with just two performers and a hockey stick. Veronica and Isabella are characters we root for, want to protect and will follow no matter where or how far they go. In Yancey's capable hands, they're strong, smart ... and still just teenagers fumbling their way to safety. Spectacularly well done.

O. Henry, move over! Diaz-Marcano takes all of the division in the country and funnels it into a heartwarming 10-minute holiday classic without losing any of the seriousness of the truth. And it's hilarious the entire time! We'll clap our foreheads with a groan and shake our heads at Dylan as Dre does, but there's a sweet-tartness to the entire play, with the absolutely most perfect ending possible. If you've already gotten all your shorts lined up for upcoming holiday festivals, start rearranging the rehearsal schedule pronto because this one is a sure bet.