Recommended by Claudia Haas

Yes! Women have curves. Women like to eat. Women also like to work out being ignored by others. You have to love the grinch belly, the spandex issue and the reward of Mac n Cheese on the couch. Partain clues into all of these truisms with wit and an all-knowing confidence that Shayna will get the audience on her side. The monologue has energy, movement and is a grand showcase for an actress.

This piece spoke to me on so many levels - and I love the realization that everyone has a story to tell and sometimes you need to tell the story. Yes, someone you never met can affect you in important ways and this play is a gorgeous illustration of that. Hope and help comes in many forms: for Madison it is through letters, for Jessica it was a special friend. These lifelines are depicted with care. There was a gentle backdrop regarding history and it's necessity for that knowledge which framed the play in wonderful ways.

You can have too much fun with a private-eye play and Kaplan does that in unexpected ways. Tim Eless and Laurie Goldberg are chock full of surprises (and are grand roles for the actors). The opening sets the stage for all the tongue-in-cheek mayhem to come. Mistaken identities, a (possibly) in-car-cerated husband, heiress to a fortune - so many stories, in so little (ten-minutes) time. In short, a short play festival delight.

Malala Yousafzai meets Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran in this quick-moving play. Set in a dystopian future (or today or yesterday), six women meet in secret to tell forbidden stories. In the "telling," they make changes to empower themselves - and what stories they are! Taken from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, they are bold, packed with adventure and would keep young audiences at the edge of their seats. Not only for TYA, adult audiences will find a lot to focus on and discuss. This should not remain unproduced. Meaty roles for women, a designer's dream, it's ready.

What a stunner. It is 90% monologue - but you become so involved in the fight you believe you are (and the character is) already in the ring. You see and hear and feel the showdown. And in the end, this play has nothing to do with the upcoming fight and everything to do with love, brothers, family and sacrifice. Beautifully done.

This is such a smartly written piece for young/family audiences and for two young performers (can be played by adults). It's the universal tale of a young friendship with opposite problems. Their challenges are gracefully laid out - there's not a lot of "show and tell" going on. We get to know them through some bugs, a rabbit, a gerbil and a camera. The turning point of wishing on a star is poignantly laid out. The imagery of the bugs, naming the stars, and freezing a moment in time is lovingly depicted. A wonderful addition to the TYA canon.

I saw this at Lakeshore Players and just got wrapped up in the silliness. It's totally bananas and there's no way you know where it's going but you are just grateful for the ride in the funhouse. There aren't a lot of screwball comedies anymore (especially in the ten-minute field) and it's a breath of fresh air to discover this. I hope it finds many homes in a lot more festivals. Read it. Everyone needs a smile break.

There are so many small, perfect moments in this lopsided-romantic comedy. The dialogue glistens with the back-and-forth that can only happen between two friends who care about one another. You may think you know where it's going - a Starbucks barrister from Wisconsin visiting a friend in L.A. who has made it big-time as a songwriter. But there are twists and turns and it builds to a wistful realization of what wishes are and aren't. It's an engaging two-hander for the actors and offers some thoughtful sweetness to the audience.

A one-upmanship at a funeral - it's a thing and it's a big thing here. I love the circle of friendship that exists here. Two people who were friends with Kate and are still vying for Kate's attention - even though she's gone - just may have made a new friend. Maybe. It's funny, it bites and later there's honey for the wound. This is a quirky and delightful addition to any ten-minute play festival.

I now think every Thanksgiving dinner should start with each family member reciting a prepared statement on a notecard. This romantic-anti-romantic comedy is a charmer. I love how when it veers on sweetness (and Grandma's monologue touches ye olde heartstrings), it changes course. It's brimming over with love, silliness and cranberry stuffing. Sounds like a perfect Thanksgiving to me.