Recommended by Daniel Prillaman

I had the opportunity to see a production of this at Rogue Machine Theatre and boy howdy. There’s nothing I love more when a play starts firmly in our world, then bends, and bends, and bends. Beneath each of these incredibly drawn & darkly comic characters is a primal keening for intimacy and connection in a dying world, one where we’re losing the art of achieving them. When vulnerability is so difficult it’s soul destroying, when it’s so goddamn cold…how do you fix anything? Fun and brutal.

The opening image and ensuing dialogue set you up for a blisteringly hilarious sit-com situation. And while you DO get that, where this play shines is the turn its story takes into something quite poignant and heartfelt. It's the best kind of comedy, where you get to laugh, then have feelings (while still laughing). A delightful read, and a script sure to be a hit at any short festival.

Despite my inability to escape work that involves me being British, I have a significantly smaller working knowledge of Austen's work than you might think. Thankfully, when it comes to Syran's, I can say she always transports us, effortlessly intertwining character, music, and stage imagery in a complex web. She may have outdone herself here, gifting me with an adaptation of a story I've not yet heard of. It's delightful. And I'm quite eager to see how and where this play goes.

Is smell the most underrated sense? We associate so many moments in our lives with specific pieces of music, and we also possess eyes. But Heyman's sci-fi play reminds us just how evocative a memorable smell can be. It can be almost...transportive? A fun, scary mystery that plays with senses and memory delightfully. I love that this is an audio play particularly, commanding the audience to use one sense while thematically focusing on another heightens everything, and it's a real treat.

This is a hell of a two-hander and nothing but a tour de force for two performers. The caustic dialogue and relationship between Confessor and Penitent is mesmerizing and witty, while treating the subject matter with a compassionate hand, allowing a deep character study of evil, belief, forgiveness, and more. This would be a thrill to listen to and see as a part of a live audience.

Busser's got a point, I still haven't quite recovered from my own time with "The Call of Cthulhu." As always, a brilliant premise executed with deft pace and hilarity. For any play festival wanting to explore a proper and nuanced look into the interpersonal relations of your typical book club, this one is 100% accurate. And, more importantly, it will bring down the house. Hell, it will change the world as you know it.

This is the real American Dream. I don't know how else to say stop what you're doing and read this now, so I'll just repeat it. Stop what you're doing and read this now. Funniest (and sexiest) thing I've read all year (except I'm including 2024).

Faith, by definition, cannot ever be explained in concrete terms. Science, on the other side of the coin, demands them. It can’t exist without them. Syran’s concise, chance meeting between two strangers prompts the challenging question, “but does any of that mean they have to disprove the other?” A beautiful dialogue in what is surely an encounter these two characters will never forget, and I’d say the same for an audience.

This is top notch cult horror. A chilling example of how easy it is to fall prey to those who would exert their control and way of life over us, whether we’re willing or no. Just one emergency or unforeseen break-up could stick us right there with Miranda. Conjuring the images of Light Haven in your brain is frightening and disorienting, and a ride sure to stick with the most hardened of listeners. Great stuff.

Simultaneously hilarious and poignant, McClain delivers a delightful farce without doors with “America’s Most Haunted.” These characters are an absolute hoot, and audiences will attach themselves to them faster than a spiritual possession. The comedy moves efficiently, but I also love and appreciate how it doesn’t fall by the wayside once the weightier themes of grief, growing up, and fear over wasted time come into play. This isn't just a crowd pleaser, but one with depth. Don't sleep on it.