Recommended by Bill Triplett

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    I've been a fan of Orson Welles for decades, and I absolutely enjoyed this poignant look at what might be the cinematic genius's epitaph -- hawking cheap wine on television in his last days. There's moving self-awareness here, laced through sardonic wit, as our (anti)hero sadly confesses without actually confessing that he knows he's the author of much of his own downfall. Fame and success can take more than they give, and they took a lot from Welles. I felt it all the way through this short but powerful piece that would be so simple to produce.

    I've been a fan of Orson Welles for decades, and I absolutely enjoyed this poignant look at what might be the cinematic genius's epitaph -- hawking cheap wine on television in his last days. There's moving self-awareness here, laced through sardonic wit, as our (anti)hero sadly confesses without actually confessing that he knows he's the author of much of his own downfall. Fame and success can take more than they give, and they took a lot from Welles. I felt it all the way through this short but powerful piece that would be so simple to produce.

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    Tense and taut from the start. Dialogue teeming with subtext. A confrontation mirroring our times. Rich territory for two actors, and easily produced. This powerful short piece has so much going for it you might not even notice it all right away because it draws you in so fast and holds you until its final moments. A cautionary tale that could also be a news report--about what happens when ignorance and bigotry and the lies they tell themselves get power. Well done, Danielle Wirsansky!

    Tense and taut from the start. Dialogue teeming with subtext. A confrontation mirroring our times. Rich territory for two actors, and easily produced. This powerful short piece has so much going for it you might not even notice it all right away because it draws you in so fast and holds you until its final moments. A cautionary tale that could also be a news report--about what happens when ignorance and bigotry and the lies they tell themselves get power. Well done, Danielle Wirsansky!

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    This charming, funny, and ultimately touching short piece -- the Last Supper as it might happen today among friends with hair-trigger sensitivities -- would be easy to produce, not to mention offer roles to six actors. It would also give audiences a chance to see how caring for each other might be humanity's last saving grace. Imaginatively conceived and well done!

    This charming, funny, and ultimately touching short piece -- the Last Supper as it might happen today among friends with hair-trigger sensitivities -- would be easy to produce, not to mention offer roles to six actors. It would also give audiences a chance to see how caring for each other might be humanity's last saving grace. Imaginatively conceived and well done!

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    Theresa may feel like she's her sister's keeper, but like any normal human being, she has her limits. This sets up so fast and skates by on high speed dialog that it's over before you know it, and yet you've witnessed a sibling do one of the harder things to do in life--get someone you love and care about to take some responsibility for herself. This isn't a scold, though. You'll likely find yourself smiling if not laughing out loud at a scene most all of us can relate to! Great characters, easy to stage. Producers/ADs, pay attention!

    Theresa may feel like she's her sister's keeper, but like any normal human being, she has her limits. This sets up so fast and skates by on high speed dialog that it's over before you know it, and yet you've witnessed a sibling do one of the harder things to do in life--get someone you love and care about to take some responsibility for herself. This isn't a scold, though. You'll likely find yourself smiling if not laughing out loud at a scene most all of us can relate to! Great characters, easy to stage. Producers/ADs, pay attention!

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    What a strange, brooding atmosphere this conjures, very much living up the title of the first part of this trilogy. Things seem to make sense, but then they shift--in shape, in tone, in direction. One of the few plays I've ever seen that successfully evokes the feeling of being in a dream, especially one freighted with dread. Creepy in the best sense, and suggestive of buried secrets. What a rich opportunity for an imaginative director to stage with adventurous actor!

    What a strange, brooding atmosphere this conjures, very much living up the title of the first part of this trilogy. Things seem to make sense, but then they shift--in shape, in tone, in direction. One of the few plays I've ever seen that successfully evokes the feeling of being in a dream, especially one freighted with dread. Creepy in the best sense, and suggestive of buried secrets. What a rich opportunity for an imaginative director to stage with adventurous actor!

  • Bill Triplett: A Vampire's Reflection by Kyle Walker
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    This ingenious and hilarious subversion of all the vampire cliches had the entire room laughing out loud at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference where it was given a reading. But lest you think this is just a witty upending of vampire lore, coursing through the veins (sorry) of this script is also a pulsating humanity, as roles -- vampire and vampire hunter -- are slyly reversed, and emotions that are hardly undead leap out. I still hear some of the lines echoing in memory. Simple to produce, great roles!

    This ingenious and hilarious subversion of all the vampire cliches had the entire room laughing out loud at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference where it was given a reading. But lest you think this is just a witty upending of vampire lore, coursing through the veins (sorry) of this script is also a pulsating humanity, as roles -- vampire and vampire hunter -- are slyly reversed, and emotions that are hardly undead leap out. I still hear some of the lines echoing in memory. Simple to produce, great roles!

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  • Bill Triplett: Ghost of Shabbos Past by Sam Heyman
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    An extraordinary portrait of loss, regret, guilt and sadness--all in 10 minutes. Caught this at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference, and I was far from alone in feeling moved and awed, as was obvious in the extensive praise the audience offered to Sam in the talk-back. This piece also speaks to those of us who aren't Jewish, because the tale it ultimately tells is human. So simple to produce, and roles that actors would love to play. Produce it!

    An extraordinary portrait of loss, regret, guilt and sadness--all in 10 minutes. Caught this at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference, and I was far from alone in feeling moved and awed, as was obvious in the extensive praise the audience offered to Sam in the talk-back. This piece also speaks to those of us who aren't Jewish, because the tale it ultimately tells is human. So simple to produce, and roles that actors would love to play. Produce it!

    ”
  • Bill Triplett: A Girl Who Acts Like That by Cherielyn Ferguson
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    A wonderful play that moves you more than you might expect in just 10 minutes. Caught this at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference and was taken by its surface charm that quickly yields deep generational divides among women on the subject of sexual harassment and assault. Great characters for female actors younger and older and simple to produce. A piece that would undoubtedly provoke thought and discussion on serious matters that, unfortunately, continue to be timeless.

    A wonderful play that moves you more than you might expect in just 10 minutes. Caught this at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference and was taken by its surface charm that quickly yields deep generational divides among women on the subject of sexual harassment and assault. Great characters for female actors younger and older and simple to produce. A piece that would undoubtedly provoke thought and discussion on serious matters that, unfortunately, continue to be timeless.

    ”
  • Bill Triplett: The Last First Date by Brent Alles
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    Caught a reading of this deceptively simple piece at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference. A man and a woman, their first date, on the last night that Earth will exist. But this isn't some Apocalypse or Rapture. It's about two people hoping for a connection that has long eluded both before it's all over. Layers are slowly revealed, peeling away at vulnerabilities. And as the final dawn nears, it's clear love will survive anything. So easy to produce, and two great roles!

    Caught a reading of this deceptively simple piece at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference. A man and a woman, their first date, on the last night that Earth will exist. But this isn't some Apocalypse or Rapture. It's about two people hoping for a connection that has long eluded both before it's all over. Layers are slowly revealed, peeling away at vulnerabilities. And as the final dawn nears, it's clear love will survive anything. So easy to produce, and two great roles!

    ”
  • Bill Triplett: The Damp, Dark Room Just Off the Parlor by John Adams
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    This marvelous little gem, which I caught at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference, has so much going for it--a penny dreadful style lovingly sent up with wit and laugh-out-loud humor atop a coming-out story. This was so much fun, and actors were eating up the roles. John Adams is the real deal, and this play is the real thing for any kind of festival, not just Halloween. Produce it!

    This marvelous little gem, which I caught at the 2025 Midwest Dramatists Conference, has so much going for it--a penny dreadful style lovingly sent up with wit and laugh-out-loud humor atop a coming-out story. This was so much fun, and actors were eating up the roles. John Adams is the real deal, and this play is the real thing for any kind of festival, not just Halloween. Produce it!

    ”