Recommended by Greg Burdick

Minky triumphantly returns! In a follow up to Carnes’ side-splitting play “INERTIA,” the quirky sock monkey puppet continues to work through things with her kinda-sorta boyfriend Billie. Theaters, take careful note: if you don’t stage these two gems immediately, a road is being paved here for a groundbreaking new television show... someone get this puppet a pilot!

Partain absolutely chills in this page-turner. With the sensibility of a tale by Poe, she weaves themes of loneliness, obsession with death, and madness, into a dark and gripping one act. I’ve climbed several lighthouse towers all along the east coast... after reading this play, I’ll never be able to scale the steps of another without thinking of Griffith and Howell. Terrifying.

After their marriage is no longer a marriage, Britt and Joe want to try again. Britt can’t help but look back, while Joe wants to move forward. Hoke finely crafts seven progressive scenes which allow us to do both. It’s a strong lesson in negotiation, concession, playing the angles, and covering your bases. Neither of these people are perfect, but they’re struggling to be- for themselves, and for each other. And when we see that in our partners, even at their lowest moments, sometimes that’s enough. A smart, poignant two-hander that will make you laugh too.

If you’re an artist, of any medium, after reading Sheila Cowley’s HUE AND SATURATION, you’ll conclude that you’re either a Ripley, or a Robin. Play it safe and small, or dare to be fabulous in unthinkable scale. Whichever you are, you’ll be inspired to paint the sky at the end. Sign me up.

Based on the tragic events at the Tree of Life Congregation in October of 2018, Rachael Carnes depicts two men who are brothers in faith, in experience, and in devotion to maintaining the safety of their place of worship- after gun violence threatens to rip it apart. Carnes recommends the piece to be used to welcome audience members (the actors serving as ushers,) as they file in. What better way to begin a festival of shorts protesting mass shootings than to station two brothers at the back of the house who “seek peace and pursue it.”

John Minigan’s “Velas Votivas” feels too real. His imagery. His storytelling. His characters. A parish priest recalls the impact of his aunt, and a member of his congregation... both named Marta. One sealed his fate as a spiritual leader, the other secured his commitment to the calling after disaster strikes his church. This is a beautiful monologue. Produce it as part of your anti-gun violence festival. It will be remembered.

There is a sadness that extends well beyond grief after experiencing trauma. It’s a torpor that pulls you downward, and seemingly never lets go. Alina Rios expertly captures this feeling in “When You’re Gone.” The speaker’s staggering double-loss is felt deeply when reading this piece. It could easily be one of the most memorable in a showcase of anti- gun violence plays. A profound challenge for a single actress.

Places of worship are communal spaces where families extend, grow, and widen. In Charissa Menefee’s thoughtful short, we see a married couple struggling to reunite with their extended family almost two months after a mass shooting that invaded their home away from home. She beautifully weaves the lyrics of a hymn to underscore the importance of the couple’s ties to this place. And to those who join them there. Recommended for any festival producing anti-gun violence plays.

“Slicing an Onion” is the frightening account of a mass shooting survivor. J. Lois Diamond has crafted a monologue packed with rich imagery that sizzles, permeates, and lingers long after you’ve finished reading. Confusion. Panic. Fear. Terror. And then, worse than all of these: becoming unable to enjoy life’s simplest pleasures afterward. An important piece for any anti-gun violence showcase. Gripping.

NO MORE IN DARKNESS is a haunting addition to the Code Red Playwrights’ collection of gun violence shorts. Harmon’s images are powerful, but her original score and lyrics catapult the play to heights making it an experience that will dazzle and awe. She provides free-use sheet music and a pre-recorded track to facilitate production at your next anti-gun violence showcase.