Recommended by Dave Osmundsen

Another delight from McBurnette-Andronicos! Takes all the tropes and stylizations of film noir and applies them to a wonderfully weird and wild narrative about missing socks (something I'm sure all of us sock-wearers relate to). Well done!

A high-stakes scene between two heroin addicts, one of whom wants to get clean, the other relying on it for their artistic gain. The play interrogates and criticizes the idea that the artist needs to somehow be in an altered state to create their best work by honing in on a self-destructive couple who are trying their best, even when their lives are falling apart. The play builds a feeling of impending dread, resulting in a shattering climax.

WOW! What a galvanizing portrait of a mother's complex and conflicting feelings over her son. Miriam is a sympathetic character with a deeply tragic story to tell, and by the end of the play you feel like you have seen multiple shades of her character and her world. The play is also successful in humanizing her son, who has committed a terrible crime. It reminds us that even the worst criminals who commit the most heinous acts come from somewhere (or someone). PLEASE read this necessary and moving play!

Reading like a modern-day response to Pinter's "Betrayal," this play shares that play's pointed use of economic yet potent language to explore issues of love, trust, sex, abandonment, neglect, and passion among three artists. On a deeper level, there is a rumbling of "What if?" underneath the surface of these characters and their situation, which adds quite a melancholy and poignant feel to the proceedings. A fascinating read!

A short but potent indictment of a fickle culture that seems to be intent on hating both its incompetent leaders and those who actually do something about them. The speaker may be condemned, but he also condemns society for its capriciousness.

We get a strong sense of the long relationship these two men have had, and feel a sweet sadness of what might have been. And all in just five pages! Sickles exhibits masterful brevity with this tender and intimate script.

A brief, yet delightful romp of a play. Gacinski gives each of his three characters distinct, yet believable voices that combined old-fashioned speech with contemporary patois. Fans of Bukowski, Shakespeare, and/or Dickinson will definitely appreciate this piece.

As someone who isn't TOO much of a dog person, and finds obsessive dog-lovers a bit overbearing, I got a kick out of this monologue. While I wouldn't dream of doing what Sylvia does, I completely understand her actions. Which is horrifying.

Reminiscent of "Tuesdays with Morrie" with a touch of "4,000 Miles," this is a brief, tender drama about how one young man grieves the sudden death of his former teacher. The protagonist's grief is laid bare for the audience to see, and Deray doesn't shy away from the grieving process. Beyond that, the play is a warm and gentle exploration of one man's journey to getting unstuck in his life, and how those who were once there for us (and the memories that resurface) come back to haunt us for better and for worse.

"Gypsy" is one of my favorite musicals, so naturally, I enjoyed the in-jokes and references to that show in this play. But beyond that, this is a story of one woman fighting for her legacy, and how she lives with an enduring (for better or worse) portrayal of her. DeVita cleverly plays with time, and the play often feels as if you are stepping into a surreal landscape of a long, theatrical memory. This play asks a bittersweet question: Will it ultimately matter HOW we're remembered, since most aren't remembered at all? This question gives the play depth and poignancy.