Recommended by Donald E. Baker

Superhero tropes. Philosophy. Cameos by Kant (the philosopher and a security system), Czar Nicholas II, and Harry Truman. And so many questions on the widest possible range of topics, but, especially, what exactly is justice and who decides? All of it is presented in rapid-fire dialogue in the context of an interrogation room in the midst of revolution. There's danger--and humor--and head-spinning curves that'll leave an audience breathless. Jarred Corona's mind is a place of unique imagination, enviable erudition, and cultural connection, and it's beautifully displayed in this wonderful play.

Hellish they may be. But the four plays in this collection--infused with Scott Sickles's off-kilter wit, sense of Hitchcockian surprise, talent for intriguing characters, and suggestions for creative staging possibilities--are definitely delightful. If you can't produce these plays--and you should if at all possible--then treat yourself to a copy of your very own (available from Next Stage Press), and enjoy every page.

If you are dismayed at over-politicized American education today, just wait until you discover Baughfman's vision for it in the "not-too-distant future" (but after the Second Civil War). The state has decreed that humiliation in the form of branding the letter "F" on the faces of students is an appropriate way to encourage chronic disciplinary problems to mend their ways. But in Abraham's case, who is the real Failure--his mother, his sister, the school district, the $200,000 robotic instructor? Obviously inspired by "The Scarlet Letter," this play is unforgettable soul-churning social commentary.

Barry, an artist, is angry because he is literally losing his sight and with it his career. But during the course of this lovely short play he realizes that the greater losses were the people he rejected in the past. Ferguson's dialogue revealing the relationships between Barry and his grandfather and between Barry and his former girlfriend is tight and sharp. And by the end Barry discovers that perhaps not everything need be lost after all. "Losing Sight" is an affecting and satisfying work.

John Busser has, to say the least, a unique sense of humor--quirky, off the wall, over the top, a little naughty, and utterly delightful. All of that is on display in this collection of hilarious short plays. Get it from Next Stage Press, read it, and enjoy a good laugh--or seven. Or, better yet, produce any one, or ideally, devote an evening to all of them, and enjoy hearing your audience laughing themselves silly.

When the cast list includes a butler called Scurvy, you know you're in for a good time. This satiric comedy of manners (featuring an aristocratic family who display very few manners) is full of coincidences and misunderstandings that would be the envy of Wilde or of Gilbert and Sullivan. I think Noel Coward would have loved it. I know I did.

Caveat! Your bonus funnius will be tickled to the maximus by this hilarious farce that ought to be subtitled "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Coliseum." Norkin is an Imperator of wordplay, and in this panoply of shamelessness he has achieved a new height of low humor. When in Rome, have a good laugh! Two thumbs up!

In the context of a man examining himself and his relationships while battling a terminal illness, this play asks a big question: Without empathy are we truly human? While exploring this question, the man, the mother who treated his youthful swimming talent as a commodity, and the caregiver who models empathy through candles and crystals, all fundamentally change for the better and find new levels of their own humanities, in the man's case, even in the face of death. It is a profound and emotionally affecting work audiences will long remember.

Wow. There is one word of actual dialogue in this play and it's the last word. Instead, the two characters narrate their stage directions, and they do so actively, in character, and in doing so reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings as, perhaps, a world of possibilities opens up at first encounter. One hopes, after the curtain comes down, they have many more words to say to each other as their relationship deepens. This is a lovely, original, and exceedingly well executed work audiences will love.

When a man still grieving the loss of his wife stumbles into a clairvoyant's storefront to have his tealeaves read (even though he really prefers iced tea to hot), the reading is as bogus as one would expect. But Miss Eleanor has a secret agenda and all turns out well with a lovely "awwwww" moment when an uncredited character makes an appearance. If you know an actor who likes playing quirky older women, point her toward this delightful script. Or better yet, buy her a copy of Cole's collection "The Wrinkle Ranch," which includes any number of such roles.