Recommended by Ian Thal

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    Madeline Puccioni begins SQUEEK as a family sitcom set in a dystopian bio-punk future, and ratchets up the weirdness until it escalates into an absurdist Grand Guignol. The dialogue is witty and the world-building comes fast through immersion rather than exposition. I want to see more of this grotesque surveillance state.

    Madeline Puccioni begins SQUEEK as a family sitcom set in a dystopian bio-punk future, and ratchets up the weirdness until it escalates into an absurdist Grand Guignol. The dialogue is witty and the world-building comes fast through immersion rather than exposition. I want to see more of this grotesque surveillance state.

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    A terrific romp through the history of comic books through the eyes of Jack "King" Kirby, prolific co-creator of some of the medium's most popular characters. Equal parts a celebration of Kirby's fertile imagination, and the struggles of being an artist in an industry that has gone from being seen as a ephemera for children, to the intellectual property upon which entertainment empires are built. Excelsior!

    A terrific romp through the history of comic books through the eyes of Jack "King" Kirby, prolific co-creator of some of the medium's most popular characters. Equal parts a celebration of Kirby's fertile imagination, and the struggles of being an artist in an industry that has gone from being seen as a ephemera for children, to the intellectual property upon which entertainment empires are built. Excelsior!

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    Another imaginative satire from Rex McGregor in which a commercial art gallery is targeted by an attention-seeking environmental activist. Why was the gallery targeted instead of a business more obviously connected to climate change. Can the confrontation be addressed in the minutes before the gallery opens its doors? If the conflict begins with spectacle, can a reframing bring about a solution?

    Another imaginative satire from Rex McGregor in which a commercial art gallery is targeted by an attention-seeking environmental activist. Why was the gallery targeted instead of a business more obviously connected to climate change. Can the confrontation be addressed in the minutes before the gallery opens its doors? If the conflict begins with spectacle, can a reframing bring about a solution?

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    Emily and Roger are a hilarious portrait of a couple, who, when no one else is around, indulge each other's hedonistic, taboo-breaking, anti-social fantasies.

    Emily and Roger are a hilarious portrait of a couple, who, when no one else is around, indulge each other's hedonistic, taboo-breaking, anti-social fantasies.

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    I have long admired Donna Latham's writing, but she surpasses her previous work here. The Friedmans were not only cryptanalysts who helped win World War II, but scholars who debunked the hypothesis of Francis Bacon's authorship of Shakespeare's works. The result is a historical spy drama whose characters each have their own poetic voice, ranging from classical allusions to modernist verse.

    I have long admired Donna Latham's writing, but she surpasses her previous work here. The Friedmans were not only cryptanalysts who helped win World War II, but scholars who debunked the hypothesis of Francis Bacon's authorship of Shakespeare's works. The result is a historical spy drama whose characters each have their own poetic voice, ranging from classical allusions to modernist verse.

  • Ian Thal: AMUSING WILLIE ..............A Ten-Minute Comedy by Donald Loftus
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    Shakespeare receives a dramaturgical consult from the muses, each of whom have their own personalities and aesthetic preferences, and each one with strong opinions on his prior works! Can the Bard please all three of the muses and also please himself?

    Shakespeare receives a dramaturgical consult from the muses, each of whom have their own personalities and aesthetic preferences, and each one with strong opinions on his prior works! Can the Bard please all three of the muses and also please himself?

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  • Ian Thal: Disorderly Beulah by Rex McGregor
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    A fast-moving story that is equal parts legal drama and political satire. The verbal sparing and tactical maneuverings and reversals of the courtroom entertain and may leave one guessing at how the case arrives at its resolution until the last lines of dialogue.

    A fast-moving story that is equal parts legal drama and political satire. The verbal sparing and tactical maneuverings and reversals of the courtroom entertain and may leave one guessing at how the case arrives at its resolution until the last lines of dialogue.

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  • Ian Thal: Graffiti Yarn by Rex McGregor
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    Rex McGregor's GRAFFITI YARN explores the world of guerrilla "street art" and its relationship with the "legitimate" art world of critics, curators, and collectors, with great verbal banter and clever wordplay. This should be a play as exciting to designers as it is to actors to work on.

    Rex McGregor's GRAFFITI YARN explores the world of guerrilla "street art" and its relationship with the "legitimate" art world of critics, curators, and collectors, with great verbal banter and clever wordplay. This should be a play as exciting to designers as it is to actors to work on.

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  • Ian Thal: The Last Death - 10 Minute Play by Ryan Kaminski
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    A short tale of gothic horror in which every revelation which has the audience questioning who is the victim and who is the villain right up tol the very end.

    A short tale of gothic horror in which every revelation which has the audience questioning who is the victim and who is the villain right up tol the very end.

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  • Ian Thal: Oh, No! I Flew Too Close to the Sun! by Rand Higbee
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    Rand Higbee's gallows humor backstage comedy OH, NO! I FLEW TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN! is perfectly wound from setup to impactful conclusion like a classic Loony Tunes cartoon.

    Rand Higbee's gallows humor backstage comedy OH, NO! I FLEW TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN! is perfectly wound from setup to impactful conclusion like a classic Loony Tunes cartoon.

    ”