Recommended by Greg Burdick

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    Schudel delivers a smartly written contemporary adaptation of Faust with DRAWN IN. Exploring the challenges of inspiration in the creative process, the disillusionment that can come from balancing art and commerce, and the purity of our work/family/romantic relationships, the play is equal parts hilarious, thoughtfully philosophical, and hopeful. The only stakes higher than losing your soul is losing in love… and here, Schudel offers sage advice that shows us what’s most worth risking.

    Schudel delivers a smartly written contemporary adaptation of Faust with DRAWN IN. Exploring the challenges of inspiration in the creative process, the disillusionment that can come from balancing art and commerce, and the purity of our work/family/romantic relationships, the play is equal parts hilarious, thoughtfully philosophical, and hopeful. The only stakes higher than losing your soul is losing in love… and here, Schudel offers sage advice that shows us what’s most worth risking.

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    True to form, Asher Wyndham delivers exceptional goods in his latest monologue, The Drama Teacher. There is strong commentary here on public school social class structure, inconsistencies in student discipline, the culture of violence and ennui among youth, the turnover rate of career educators and the revolving door of people who step in to fill the gaps… all delivered by a droll, infinity scarf-wearing Master Thespian soaked in Tim Gunn energy. Spend your duty-free lunch reading this one…

    True to form, Asher Wyndham delivers exceptional goods in his latest monologue, The Drama Teacher. There is strong commentary here on public school social class structure, inconsistencies in student discipline, the culture of violence and ennui among youth, the turnover rate of career educators and the revolving door of people who step in to fill the gaps… all delivered by a droll, infinity scarf-wearing Master Thespian soaked in Tim Gunn energy. Spend your duty-free lunch reading this one…

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    If John Patrick Shanley's DOUBT had been imagined by Quentin Tarantino, it couldn't possibly come close to what Ashleigh Ann Gardner delivers in CORPUS. A tight-knit group of young women, all victims of abuse at a Catholic orphanage, must unearth what has happened to a young girl who mysteriously disappears. At a time where survivors continue to feel silenced and powerless, Gardner gives them a megaphone. The play's stunning moments of high theatricality will have audiences gasping throughout.

    If John Patrick Shanley's DOUBT had been imagined by Quentin Tarantino, it couldn't possibly come close to what Ashleigh Ann Gardner delivers in CORPUS. A tight-knit group of young women, all victims of abuse at a Catholic orphanage, must unearth what has happened to a young girl who mysteriously disappears. At a time where survivors continue to feel silenced and powerless, Gardner gives them a megaphone. The play's stunning moments of high theatricality will have audiences gasping throughout.

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    Brandon and Garrett Baer have crafted a fiercely funny contemporary farce that may well become a time capsule documenting the complex navigation of romantic entanglements and wedding planning in the Digital Age. Amidst all the laughs and hijinks, WEDDING FAMOUS skillfully tugs at some very interesting threads regarding generation and sexual-orientation related views of marriage. And, a beautiful monologue late in the story will surely find its way into many future real-world wedding ceremonies.

    Brandon and Garrett Baer have crafted a fiercely funny contemporary farce that may well become a time capsule documenting the complex navigation of romantic entanglements and wedding planning in the Digital Age. Amidst all the laughs and hijinks, WEDDING FAMOUS skillfully tugs at some very interesting threads regarding generation and sexual-orientation related views of marriage. And, a beautiful monologue late in the story will surely find its way into many future real-world wedding ceremonies.

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    A beautifully written piece that captures a generation’s temptation to “save things for good,” under glass, on a shelf, in mint condition… (instead of daring to be bold enough to shamelessly savor and enjoy;) and its link to the fear of commitment, or tainting something of value. Casey comes to understand that our lives can only grow richer when we’re brave enough to pick a street, and fight like crazy to stick together.

    A beautifully written piece that captures a generation’s temptation to “save things for good,” under glass, on a shelf, in mint condition… (instead of daring to be bold enough to shamelessly savor and enjoy;) and its link to the fear of commitment, or tainting something of value. Casey comes to understand that our lives can only grow richer when we’re brave enough to pick a street, and fight like crazy to stick together.

  • Greg Burdick: Ms. Claus by Patrick Gabridge
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    Gabridge’s outstanding 10-minute is a comic indictment of the stubbornly lingering wage gap between men and women, and the toxic gatekeeping that persists preventing equity. Funny, thought-provoking, and simultaneously frustrating, Ms. Claus would make an excellent addition to a slate of holiday shorts.

    Gabridge’s outstanding 10-minute is a comic indictment of the stubbornly lingering wage gap between men and women, and the toxic gatekeeping that persists preventing equity. Funny, thought-provoking, and simultaneously frustrating, Ms. Claus would make an excellent addition to a slate of holiday shorts.

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  • Greg Burdick: LAST ELF STANDING by Douglas Rees
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    It’s going to be a Temu toy Christmas this year with Santa outsourcing production; and scores of layoffs are making logistics a nightmare for the reindeer. Living in a world where the corporate bottom line often supersedes the fair and equitable treatment of employees, Rees’ stinging satire feels all too familiar. We’re rooting for Jinglebell and Dasher… because their current fate is nothing that anyone deserves for Christmas. Lots of laughs in this comic two-hander!

    It’s going to be a Temu toy Christmas this year with Santa outsourcing production; and scores of layoffs are making logistics a nightmare for the reindeer. Living in a world where the corporate bottom line often supersedes the fair and equitable treatment of employees, Rees’ stinging satire feels all too familiar. We’re rooting for Jinglebell and Dasher… because their current fate is nothing that anyone deserves for Christmas. Lots of laughs in this comic two-hander!

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  • Greg Burdick: Away in a Manger by John Minigan
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    John Minigan's "foretell-ing" fantastic account of this well-chronicled tale is the version I deeply wish is the definitive one. Seems plausible... Gift yourself this holiday season with plenty of laughs, and give this one a read.

    John Minigan's "foretell-ing" fantastic account of this well-chronicled tale is the version I deeply wish is the definitive one. Seems plausible... Gift yourself this holiday season with plenty of laughs, and give this one a read.

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  • Greg Burdick: You and 250 of Your Closest Friends Have Been Rejected, or, The CC Reply All play Editor by Greg Lam
    “

    If only there was a way to deliver this fantastic found work (I’m in “Club 250,” by the way…) to 32,000 NPX members who could ALSO then reply-all at will, then we’d really have something! Deepest thanks to Greg Lam in preserving this precious archive for time immemorial, and for taking a little of the sting out of what otherwise might have been a very routine experience for the lot of us. To the next rejection - and beyond!

    If only there was a way to deliver this fantastic found work (I’m in “Club 250,” by the way…) to 32,000 NPX members who could ALSO then reply-all at will, then we’d really have something! Deepest thanks to Greg Lam in preserving this precious archive for time immemorial, and for taking a little of the sting out of what otherwise might have been a very routine experience for the lot of us. To the next rejection - and beyond!

    ”
  • Greg Burdick: Scorpio Moon by Mike Byham
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    If Martin McDonagh, Paula Vogel, and Stephen King sat down together to collaborate on a 10-minute play, they might be able to summon something as terrifying Mike Byham’s “Scorpio Moon.” Enid is annually haunted by an unspeakable trauma from her past, and if the memories weren’t painful enough, when conditions are perfect, something sinister threatens to darken her door… leaving her with little hope of escape. Tense. Taut. Theatrical. Chilling. A stunning work.

    If Martin McDonagh, Paula Vogel, and Stephen King sat down together to collaborate on a 10-minute play, they might be able to summon something as terrifying Mike Byham’s “Scorpio Moon.” Enid is annually haunted by an unspeakable trauma from her past, and if the memories weren’t painful enough, when conditions are perfect, something sinister threatens to darken her door… leaving her with little hope of escape. Tense. Taut. Theatrical. Chilling. A stunning work.

    ”