Recommended by Robert Weibezahl

Dan Taube’s very funny and very clever short play, which I took part in reading in our writer’s group, will have many envious playwrights thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Taube gamely exploits the many conventions of Frankenstein films as he explores the Creature’s understandable hangups in a hilarious therapy session. Anger issues? That’s just the tip of the iceberg. And the final moments of the play are priceless. This 10-minute gem is sure to be VERY popular at short play festivals.

Cole achieves two things so well here—an empathetic picture of economic realities squeezing out the middle class and, more deliciously, a scathing portrait of a one-sided friendship. Paige is a perfectly drawn antagonist—the clueless loser and user that everyone of us has encountered. Amelia is a big-hearted enabler caught in her own best intentions. Juicy roles for two actresses keen on digging into the complex psychology of everyday life.

A clever cautionary tale filled with humor and irony. Bruce Karp perfectly captures the mindset, propagated by the entertainment and fashion industries, that aging is a failing and that self-worth is tied to youthful appearance. We may pity Brenda and laugh at her vanity, but her anxiety hits close to home.

The title of this compelling and heartfelt play refers to some specific artwork left behind by a talented dead painter, but also, metaphorically, to the brave pursuit of an art and a life that are at once fragile and immutable. Williams deftly plays with this metaphor, exploring big questions about the legacy of an artist and the mysteries that permeate even the most loving, committed relationships. WATERCOLORS gallops along like an intriguing, beautifully-structured mystery, then dares to pause for us to catch our breaths and think about deeper things. A rich and accomplished work.

O’Neill-Butler’s pitch-perfect ear for dialogue rings clear in this touching two-hander. Mac is weathering the realities of later life with the sincere, if clumsy, support of his buddy Bob. Their exchange truly captures the way many men talk around the truth while still managing to get to its core. Two great roles for older actors, with so much to explore beneath the surface of the words.

Doris is an absolutely hilarious character, a “little old lady” who quickly sheds her repressed demeanor with aplomb now that widowhood has propelled her to the public library for books on grief … or … sex? I’d wager there is not a single actress “of a certain age” who wouldn’t kill to play this role. I hope many theatres give them the chance! Another perceptive and entertaining slice of truth about aging from Marj O’Neill-Butler.

This wonderfully real dialogue between mother and daughter as wedding plans are made (and challenged) captures many subtle details about each of their lives and their complicated relationship. It unfolds with poignancy and humor and the ending is perfect!

Bruce Karp’s plays often provide a compassionate, humanist perspective, and ANGELS AND PASTRAMI is no exception. A charming, thought-provoking fantasy with very real and timely underpinnings, this story about the harsh reality of being unhoused contains surprising multitudes – and much to ponder -- in its richly-wrought ten-minutes. The ending is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

A sharp, daring, and utterly compelling portrait of four (real-life) women who shaped the legacy of modern art as they struggled to shaped their own unconventional lives. Arianna Rose displays her usual passion for finding truth through words in a play filled with rhythmic dialogue, honest emotion, and extraordinarily well-drawn characters. This always absorbing play pays great, overdue tribute to some under-sung women from our cultural past.

Bruce Karp’s beautiful, heartbreaking short play touches on many of the painful, violent, confusing realities we live with today. There are no easy answers, but if communication and love are our last best hopes, 15 SECONDS offers a welcome entry point. Karp’s fierce scenario and well-crafted words will make you cry, but more importantly, they will make you think.