Recommended by Andrew Martineau

There is so much to admire about the zany style of the writing, and it seems obvious that this would be incredibly fun for actors and audience alike. But I also love the way the plot builds. This early date in a relationship is never predictable or pedestrian. We feel as unsettled by this guy’s actions and tastes as this woman does, and she has her own, much more ordinary secret to reveal.
It all feels like a circus act gone terribly wrong. Very funny stuff!

I always figured guardian angels liked a nice soirée. Who am I kidding? I never thought of it, which is why Bluestein-Lyons is so clever and original! And very funny! It did make me think about souls returning in stuffed animals and maybe that is why kids love them so much. There is a lot of wonder packed into this short piece. Wonderful!

SCOUT'S HONOR is truly a play for our sensationalist times! Every character is this dark comedy is a scout, but how they each "scout" is somewhat different, albeit equally disturbing. The line "Doesn’t matter what the truth is. Only what the public believes" resonates strongly and loudly. Even the song "America, the Beautiful" has a surprising meaning in the beginning and leads to a mind-blowing context as we get to the rather shocking ending. This is a memorable, thought-provoking and very funny play!

THE RALLY puts a personal story at the center of a news story we all know too well. It brought back memories for me of being in Charlottesville a couple of months before the rally when my stepson graduated from UVA. This play is a very realistic depiction of how a mother who doesn’t follow politics gets thrust front and center in this story of overt racism and violence. Important and highly relevant!

Many plays could easily be films and the question that is often raised by theatre companies and audiences is “What makes this a play and not a film?” Solomonson has written a script that is highly theatrical and is clearly a drama that we can all appreciate as a live performance, even though it could work as a virtual production. The beauty of the characterizations, particularly that of the service dog, is astonishing and breathtaking. Bravo!

The high voltage energy in this is so infectious that it is easy to lose sight of how this play is really a highly satirical view of the materialistic, competitive and superficial Christmas traditions we all witness every year. This is a fun holiday treat, and I would love to see some ugly sweaters and campy acting styles!

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!

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!

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!

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.