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Bruce Karp

Recommended by Bruce Karp

  • OUTCASTS AND REBELS by Marj O'Neill-Butler
    20 Nov. 2022
    “ This is a sweet play about bridging the generation gap. Young Cassie and her Gram come to realize that they're not so different and, that there's life in Gram yet, while for Cassie, the best is yet to come if she just tries to grab the brass ring. Marj O'Neill-Butler's characters are always relatable, the dialogue is sharp and believable and this is an excellent play for a ten-minute festival. ”
  • Crazy Quilts by Karen Fix Curry
    3 Nov. 2022
    “ I've been fortunate to have watched this play develop and grow and it's truly an original idea, now fully and beautifully executed. The short version has been an award winner and I'm certain the longer version will reap many rewards, too. Ms. Curry has created memorable characters, humor in a story with an underlying seriousness, and unexpected treasures throughout. Please read it, enjoy it, and, if you have any influence in getting it produced, please use it! ”
  • Waiting On Mom, Who Already Left by John Busser
    3 Nov. 2022
    “ I enjoyed reading John Busser's sweet and humorous story about a funeral! There, I said it. His characters are marvelously drawn, believable and I could identify with them, from a similar family experience. The segment about Aunt Peg is hilarious (I won't give it away), and the ending ties things up in a nice bow. Busser is really quite good at creating fully rounded short stories. Hope this gets produced. ”
  • The Golden Rule by Dan Taube
    28 Oct. 2022
    “ This is a tautly written, tension-filled play that has a satisfying ending which I will not spoil here. Mr. Taube's buildup had me wanting to read more. Unfortunately, I think the differences between the two characters have become all too clear to us. It's a warning to all of us. I highly recommend reading this play and hope it gets produced. ”
  • The Last Stalker (Ten Minute) by Paul Donnelly
    28 Oct. 2022
    “ This is a play that takes us all back to the horrible time when young, gay men succumbed to what was initially a "mystery disease." Well, we know the heartache that followed and it can be felt reading this well-written and heartfelt play. Even though AIDS can now be treated as a chronic disease, it is still good for people who were too young or not born at the time, to understand what it felt like to contract the virus before there was a chance to survive. ”
  • No Rest for a Soul by Cindi Sansone-Braff
    27 Oct. 2022
    “ I enjoyed this play's premise, though unfortunately, the lecture given to the late rock star needed to be heard by him much sooner, i.e., when he was alive. The idea that all your life mistakes are "kept on file" in the afterlife is a bit disconcerting, but it did make for an entertaining situation, whereby a suicide victim has some hope that reincarnation could make him a better person. I'll leave it to you to read the play to find out how that turns out. Well done and should be produced. ”
  • On Queue by Morey Norkin
    27 Oct. 2022
    “ I thought this to be a good play in the age of writing about nothingness, which always gives us readers and theatergoers a chance to discuss what it's really about...somethingness, if you will. (I hope that makes sense.) Anyway, whether it's about life, death or just impatience about cutting in line or people showing up on time, Mr. Norkin has handled the dialogue in a clever way and without a doubt keeps us interested and willing to debate the play's meaning. Recommended! ”
  • A Toast (from the THE WRINKLE RANCH AND OTHER PLAYS ABOUT GROWING OLD collection) by Debra A. Cole
    27 Oct. 2022
    “ I enjoyed the way this story unfolded with all the doubts and suspicions spouted by a son as he watches his father re-marry a short time after his mother's passing - and he has to make a toast at the wedding, to boot. A very interesting concept. And, though there is likely no right or wrong in the father's actions, Ms. Cole mines the son's reasons why this new marriage should not take place. In the end, the conflict is still there, evidenced by the toast itself. Well worth producing! ”
  • Weather it Out by Rachel Feeny-Williams
    27 Oct. 2022
    “ This is a clever take on entitlement, and will resonate with anyone who hoped for a quiet day at the beach or the park, or even at home, and suddenly...intrusions! How dare they?!?

    With rising tensions, childish interactions and a lovely twist at the end that turns out to be the final arbiter, Ms. Feeny-Williams has created a fierce and funny take on how those feelings of entitlement, when challenged, can take all the fun out of life. Worth reading and would be fun for the actors to perform. ”
  • BIRTHRIGHTS...and WRONGS by Marj O'Neill-Butler
    15 Oct. 2022
    “ Ms. O'Neill-Butler, who always writes relatable characters and dialogue, has brought two strangers together about to embark on parenthood and grand-parenthood, having had to overcome mistakes, tragedies and fear. And they have and will, all in the name of family. This is a charming and in the end, moving piece about being supportive, even to people you don't know. Sometimes, you can have the most intimate and emotional moments with people you hardly know. ”

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