←Recommendations of The Believers Market

12.09.25 - If there was a Hallmark movie that took place in the Twilight Zone, we might get something like Hilary Bluestein-Lyons dark comedy. I was all set for a feel good holiday romp and then, I hit a patch of black-as-ice satire and spun out into a ditch. I'm not religious either, but this takes us into a very divisive minefield. I'd love to see an audience's reaction to this piece.

I love how this story goes from cheery to eerie... It'll catch audiences off-guard and will stick with them long after the curtains have closed! A disturbing, unexpected trip into The Twinklelight Zone...

Man oh man, was this satirically brilliant. (Brought some of the works of Shirley Jackson to my mind.) You think you know what you're getting, and then Bluestein-Lyons takes you on an incredibly sharp turn... and you just kind of go with the rest of the piece with your mouth open. This fit my darkly comedic sensibilities very well, however, and the right kind of audience is definitely going to dig the dark wit here. I know I certainly did.

So cute and normal, and then so strange. I absolutely love the wicked twist of this short that turns a simple slice of life holiday experience into an episode of the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. Wonderful.

I am very much down for this brand of play: A sharp ... comedy, I guess? ... that confronts willful ignorance with a slapstick edge. Terrific, funny, chilling. What more could you ask for?

Oh wow. When Elaine answers Doug's question "why?" I was shook! At what cost peace? So very strange, funny and a little Twilight Zone-esque!

This very fine play starts with a Hallmark vibe but slowly turns into a horrifying allegory. The ethnicity vs. religion argument is very real, but this play goes beyond that into a very dark, willfully ignorant kind of malevolence. Terrific writing to go this deep in ten minutes.

A solid horror tale that plays games with your heart. The dread is palpable. There is nothing worse than righteous evil. The evil that smiles as it crushes you.

Incredible. SO MUCH to unpack here in 10-minutes under the trusted hands of Hilary Bluestein-Lyons. We start with uneasy feelings for Doug... and nothing eases as the play concludes. True believers would never stand a chance in this "charming" small town.

Wow, in just ten pages, this play packs a tremendous punch when the twist hits and the title comes into play. I’ve always found small towns in the winter unnerving and the one in this play is no exception - Nice work!