Allison Fradkin

Gal pals Jeanette and Phyllis are anxiously awaiting the results of MTV's "Video Thrilled the Parody Star" contest, hosted by the hunky-doriest heartthrob of the 1980s: Weird Al Yankovic. Will their entry—which portrays parity with a motley crew of clarity, sincerity, and hilarity—push more buttons than an accordionist? Or worse, will their friendship be eighty-sixed in '86 in an Al-legory on the bummers of the big time?

You are raspberry cordially invited to Prince Edward Island, home of carrot-top-of-the-line literary heroine Anne Shirley and her bosom friend Diana Barry. These kindred spirits have some contemporary company: Vernie and Cori, teenage visitors who meet for the first time while having a field day at Field Day at Green Gables Heritage Place. Is it love at first "site"?

When a young woman comes out to her family on the first night of Hanukkah, will her parents plotz or will they be justifiably Jewbilant?

It's the 1960s, when one's complexion could be cause for rejection and the object of one's affection could be cause for objection. Best friends Dina and Patrina, who make up one half of America's first interracial girl group, aren't exactly thrilled about the tepid topics they’ll be trilling about: men, men, and men. But their true feelings are, well, unmentionable. Will they decide to hide like a 45 in a record sleeve, or will they refuse to let their love wither on the vinyl?

Aline Fabry has discovered that being straight is no Sapph-faux pas. She's sick of being a speck on the gender spectrum too, and is hoping to get it all out of her system—or, in her case, her cis-tem. Can her favorite (and only) child Gene, an LMFT, administer inversion therapy to make her LGBT (and E-N-B-Y)?

Could radical fundamentalism be the gateway to radical feminism? In ultra-conservative religions, female followers' mission in life is submission, and womanhood is synonymous with motherhood. But what happens when Mom discovers that the family's values of freedom of religion and freedom of speech pale in comparison to the most desirable freedom of all: reproductive? Will Mom maintain her pro-life stance—that birth control is exerted solely by God—or will she stop denying her born children the right to life?

Theatre is an ensemble of inflection, projection, and rejection. So when Marva—a performer who's part ingénue, part dreamgirl next door—desires a duet with Winifred, her BFF onstage and off, she has no idea how to go about going from Pink Lady to Pink Lady friend. Will the entrance of Francine, a triply threatening romantic rival, prompt Marva to act on her feelings before the curtain closes on her chances?

During World War II, it was a woman's patriotic prerogative to embrace a man's job. The War enabled women to experience a change of pace and, for the members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, a change of base. But when South Bend Blue Sox teammates Josephine and Penny develop a war bond of their own, it's hardly the kind the government—let alone the League—had in mind. Will the gals take a crack at a romance that, like a baseball, won't be seamless? Or will they take the base path of least resistance and prioritize the game over the dame?

Picture it: Miami, 1987. MTV is hosting a video contest, inviting viewers to create a PSA in support of safe sex. Well, who better to dispense age-old wisdom about safe sex to America's young people than four sensible, sensual seniors? Unexpectedly, their entry is both a hoot and a hit, propelling the Girls to stardom faster than you can shoot a herring out of a cannon. At first, they think being famous will be a piece of cheesecake. But as they journey to the center of attention, they find themselves becoming oddities, commodities, and—worst of all—at odds with each other. Will this joust between friends meet its demise like a man in a bed of Rose's? Surely they'll rekindle those magic senior moments. Won't they? This feminist musical tribute to The Golden Girls invites fans to see their favorite foursome personified with respect, inclusivity, and authenticity. 'Cause let's face it: parodies can be a real drag.

If an abuser had a Greatest Hits album, it would include such scintillating singles as "Diss You Much," "Keep on Shoving You," and "You Can't Stop the Beatdown." Except the women at the Safe House can and did. But will they stop listening to their setbacks' soundtracks and keep listening to their own, much more mellifluous voices?

Turquoise is a pony bead who won't get off her high horse. Magenta is a steed of a bead who doesn't hesitate to read her the riot act. And it's not just their colors that clash. Can Rainbow Heart, a charm who's both intrusive and inclusive, hang in there long enough to string these beads together?

You've heard the stepsisters' lament. Now it's time for the stepmother to step into the shoes of the Princess of Wails. And who better to get the "bawl" rolling than the winsome and then some Fairy Godmother? Hitherto, the Wicked Stepmother has been perceived as a menace to high society. But is she a mainstream menace? Or, as the Fairy Godmother suspects, a lavender menace?