Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

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    A fun, Twilight Zone-esque short of something undermining a marriage. And despite the characters' musings and attempts to figure it out, whether it's based in personality and communication or something far weirder is left up to us. A great little play that provokes and perturbs, leaving us wanting just the right amount of more.

    A fun, Twilight Zone-esque short of something undermining a marriage. And despite the characters' musings and attempts to figure it out, whether it's based in personality and communication or something far weirder is left up to us. A great little play that provokes and perturbs, leaving us wanting just the right amount of more.

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    These four characters are tremendous, leading us through a richly drawn and instantly relatable spiral of grief, confusion, and mad hope the likes of which early-COVID only exacerbated. Truly it feels like a "Long Day's Journey Into Night" for the Gen Zers (which I mean as a highest compliment), as it deftly connects with and explores our medium’s classic themes and scope through an acutely focused modern lens. A brilliant feat of a script that should absolutely be on your radar.

    These four characters are tremendous, leading us through a richly drawn and instantly relatable spiral of grief, confusion, and mad hope the likes of which early-COVID only exacerbated. Truly it feels like a "Long Day's Journey Into Night" for the Gen Zers (which I mean as a highest compliment), as it deftly connects with and explores our medium’s classic themes and scope through an acutely focused modern lens. A brilliant feat of a script that should absolutely be on your radar.

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    God, how I loved this. Malakhow's ensemble makes for a refreshingly theatrical play about the modern (timeless?) struggle for honest communication and being seen, particularly amongst your fellow men. The inter-generational conflicts are sublime moments of exploration, while the central thread of just what happened between Nathan and Drew is expertly paced and revealed. Teams will LOVE staging this as much as audiences will enjoy watching it.

    God, how I loved this. Malakhow's ensemble makes for a refreshingly theatrical play about the modern (timeless?) struggle for honest communication and being seen, particularly amongst your fellow men. The inter-generational conflicts are sublime moments of exploration, while the central thread of just what happened between Nathan and Drew is expertly paced and revealed. Teams will LOVE staging this as much as audiences will enjoy watching it.

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    A fun & scary gothic horror in its own right, Osmundsen's ghost story opens up further as you gradually realize its scope. Nestled in a narrative about how we treat (and fail) neurodivergent people as a society is an exploration of how the very stories we tell might haunt us as individuals. Similarly, these ghosts are more than the customary metaphors for grief or regret, but physical antagonists, bringing personal stakes to a thrilling tale about what it means to live in this world, dead or no.

    A fun & scary gothic horror in its own right, Osmundsen's ghost story opens up further as you gradually realize its scope. Nestled in a narrative about how we treat (and fail) neurodivergent people as a society is an exploration of how the very stories we tell might haunt us as individuals. Similarly, these ghosts are more than the customary metaphors for grief or regret, but physical antagonists, bringing personal stakes to a thrilling tale about what it means to live in this world, dead or no.

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    Once during early COVID, the roommates that my wife, Alli, and I were quarantining with tried to pull me into a plan to surprise her through me with an impromptu dinner party date as a fun and romantic gesture. I, knowing Alli absolutely hates surprises, tried to convince them this was a terrible idea. Then they got pissed at me. For a multitude of reasons, we don’t talk to them anymore. And for a multitude of reasons, this play is about so much more than how courtship can be subjective. Bravo.

    Once during early COVID, the roommates that my wife, Alli, and I were quarantining with tried to pull me into a plan to surprise her through me with an impromptu dinner party date as a fun and romantic gesture. I, knowing Alli absolutely hates surprises, tried to convince them this was a terrible idea. Then they got pissed at me. For a multitude of reasons, we don’t talk to them anymore. And for a multitude of reasons, this play is about so much more than how courtship can be subjective. Bravo.

  • Daniel Prillaman: Missive by Josh Gauthier
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    Why does it matter who we’re fighting and where when dinner is on the line? Gauthier’s short play is a perfect “war against boredom” slice-of-life, exploring the mundanity of waiting for marching orders in the middle of nowhere amid everyone’s opinions on the chain of command. These characters are terrible together (in the best way possible), and I could watch them forever. You’ll most certainly feel the same.

    Why does it matter who we’re fighting and where when dinner is on the line? Gauthier’s short play is a perfect “war against boredom” slice-of-life, exploring the mundanity of waiting for marching orders in the middle of nowhere amid everyone’s opinions on the chain of command. These characters are terrible together (in the best way possible), and I could watch them forever. You’ll most certainly feel the same.

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  • Daniel Prillaman: ICE CREAM STOOL PIGEON by Steven G. Martin
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    Taking a scoop from the absurd brilliance of Ryan M. Bultrowicz’ “Two-Timing Loaf of Bread,” Martin’s homage is coming dangerously close to creating the Inanimate Object Theatrical Universe. Personally? I’m for it. I could revel in this surreal silliness forever. The puns alone are (if you’ll excuse me…) a delicious treat, but the interrogation room set-up is just the cherry on top. You'll be cackling at this all evening.

    Taking a scoop from the absurd brilliance of Ryan M. Bultrowicz’ “Two-Timing Loaf of Bread,” Martin’s homage is coming dangerously close to creating the Inanimate Object Theatrical Universe. Personally? I’m for it. I could revel in this surreal silliness forever. The puns alone are (if you’ll excuse me…) a delicious treat, but the interrogation room set-up is just the cherry on top. You'll be cackling at this all evening.

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  • Daniel Prillaman: Mad Tea by Kierstan Kathleen Conway
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    I had the opportunity to catch a workshop production of this play and was delighted and terrified in that order. I won’t spoil how a stylized tea party filled with instantly lovable characters becomes so much more, but rest assured that in Conway’s deft hands, you’re in for the ride of your life. Literally? Perhaps. If you’re looking for or just enjoy quality longer one-acts, this is one you should know.

    I had the opportunity to catch a workshop production of this play and was delighted and terrified in that order. I won’t spoil how a stylized tea party filled with instantly lovable characters becomes so much more, but rest assured that in Conway’s deft hands, you’re in for the ride of your life. Literally? Perhaps. If you’re looking for or just enjoy quality longer one-acts, this is one you should know.

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  • Daniel Prillaman: Who's Afraid of Bram Stoker? by Sam Heyman
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    Perhaps there comes a time for us all when we stop dressing up for Halloween. And is the passage of time and mortality's sexy presence not the scariest thing of all? Heyman's short is a hilarious and thoughtful stoner-infused slice of philosophy on much more than hotness. No trick here. This is all treat.

    Perhaps there comes a time for us all when we stop dressing up for Halloween. And is the passage of time and mortality's sexy presence not the scariest thing of all? Heyman's short is a hilarious and thoughtful stoner-infused slice of philosophy on much more than hotness. No trick here. This is all treat.

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  • Daniel Prillaman: Whirlpool by Ross Tedford Kendall
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    A thrilling endeavor where memory, consent, power, and kink all prove murky. Kendall uses different characters' POVs to great theatrical effect as they each recount their "experiences" of the traumatic event. Is someone lying? Is someone misremembering? Can the truth even be found and at what cost? WHIRLPOOL accurately shows how quickly all these questions can blur together and suck us down, particularly in the era of the internet and celebrity culture, when privacy is rarer by the day.

    A thrilling endeavor where memory, consent, power, and kink all prove murky. Kendall uses different characters' POVs to great theatrical effect as they each recount their "experiences" of the traumatic event. Is someone lying? Is someone misremembering? Can the truth even be found and at what cost? WHIRLPOOL accurately shows how quickly all these questions can blur together and suck us down, particularly in the era of the internet and celebrity culture, when privacy is rarer by the day.

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