Recommended by Andrew Martineau

  • Stick
    22 Apr. 2021
    I love comedies that shock and surprise and give us what we want to hear but would never say aloud, particularly to a supervisor. I was initially stunned by the rambling on about the water conservation at a urinal, and it made me ponder what this boss would have said about a toilet flush! The cleverness of the language is only outdone by the absurdity of the action, and I honesty don't know how the two actors would be able to keep a straight face in performance. Fantastic!
  • Happy Ending
    22 Apr. 2021
    This is a very clever, fun screenplay about has-been actors making all sorts of movie references that are often wrongly cited! The blurring of reality and movie magic keeps this play witty and suspenseful. It is very funny, and I am sure the actors would have a blast playing these self-absorbed characters. Nicely written!
  • Whatever I Want (a ten minute play)
    21 Apr. 2021
    No one likes to talk about preparing for death, especially when the dying person is your teen sister. This is a truly poignant, emotionally raw play about grieving and what-ifs, such as what might have happened if she had lived a long life. A powerfully moving play for two young actors to dig deep into. Beautiful!
  • Ashiari Yashiki
    21 Apr. 2021
    This play is spellbinding and hilarious. It is also very relatable, aside from the giant leg begging to be washed. The leg is quite symbolic. I read it as a large segment of the population seeking assistance and being told they are sponging off the government. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to see what a director and actors do with it!
  • Defining Blue Spray Paint
    18 Apr. 2021
    The almost shocking but sad image of an ill-fitting old wedding dress with blue splotches of paint and a child trying to make sense of it all is incredibly theatrical and evocative. Mangan’s words are powerful and poetic, despite the characters’ insistence that they are pointless. The feelings here are strong, raw and relevant. Beautiful play.
  • No Rest for a Soul
    18 Apr. 2021
    The collective slings and arrows of a famous musician’s life are laid bare after he decides to end it all for a little rest. This play assesses the pain that was caused by his escape, and I love the interrogation by a second record keeper to see if the taking of one’s own life deserves to be viewed with mercy. It is a wonderful play that examines the moral relativism of one action’s devastating consequences. A fascinating examination of what might happen to the soul after death. Excellent!
  • Putt-Putt
    17 Apr. 2021
    PUTT-PUTT is the kind of hysterical, irreverent play that lets your imagination run wild with Sapio’s inspired miniature, or should I say “alternative” biblical-themed golf course. While it may appear at first to be a one joke play, it slowly evolves into a study of how people with certain skills may be ridiculed for no good reason, and we should always celebrate unique talents and creative thinking. Wonderfully original and very funny!
  • Stephanie. From the Posters.
    16 Apr. 2021
    This play reveals its characters to us slowly, like the peeling of an onion. I didn't know the nature of Paul's anxiety at first, but I figured there had to be much more to this than classic "helicopter" parentlng, and that turned out to be true. However, this play is not predictable at all, and as a father of a teenage girl myself, I felt deeply for Paul, yet I also understood Mike's viewpoints, as well, as abrasive as he is in this heated exchange. Wonderfully original and poignant. I would love to see this onstage!
  • Remainders
    16 Apr. 2021
    REMAINDERS has an intriguing storyline: old books that have been relegated for “dollar a bag” status discuss their fate without fully understanding their declining cultural significance or popularity. Moran has crafted a humorous play involving a confused Rudy Giuliani text that has fallen to the depths of discarded non-fiction and a very entertaining “Sweet Valley High” throwback hopelessly lost in 90s vernacular. Well done!
  • The Early Flight
    16 Apr. 2021
    This is the sort of sophisticated marriage comedy I could imagine Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn doing to superb comic effect back in the day. Of course, great comedic actors need a great comedic script, and Feriend delivers the goods. I could see a festival putting on both endings and letting the audience decide on their favorite. I think both work well. I would love to see more screwball episodes with this entertaining duo!

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