I answered a challenge from the 2020 One-Minute Play Festival to write a micro-play about human response to the “crisis.” (We might as well call it a “plague.”) You can access all 620+ plays submitted to that challenge here.

It is a lot of plays! But each is 1-2 pages, typically with two characters. You and a partner can browse, and if something strikes your fancy you can perform it for each other. People used to read poetry to each other; the spoken word is powerful and entertaining. If you’ve ever been in a play you know the experience of engaging with another player as nemesis, lover, frustrated parent, or many other roles. Whether serious or silly, nothing beats a play.

Liberate yourself from your constricted environment from time to time. Share these plays with your housemate or over the telephone. I guarantee it’s better than quizzing each other about obscure words in the dictionary.