Recommended by Charles Scott Jones

It's a cold February day in 1939 at an off-off-Broadway theater and we're given the backstage view of the final performance of Bobby Broadway's vaudeville troupe. Events take place leading up to the show and during the show; the 1930s feel - the banter and the jokes - transport you to that fabulous time. Small wonder that SO LONG, MR. BROADWAY was recently produced. It's brimming over with charm and heart and makes for a glorious read. I love how John Daily conjures up the performance of Darla Sweet and Vaughn Brown in the mind's eye. Inspiring work!

The perfect title is ROMEO & HER SISTER for this theatrical history play about sisters Charlotte and Susan Cushman. The stress of rehearsing Romeo and Juliet - their unique sister act - excites a fierce sibling reciprocity that moves this superb character-study melodrama. The dialogue is scintillating. Seldom have I been so eager to hear characters speak. Jillian Blevins has perfectly balanced the feeling of the place and time (1845, Haymarket Theatre, London) with modern pacing. I love the messaging with flowers! I love that Susan takes on both the role and spirit of Juliet! Read this insightful magnificent play!

Cool character names and love the jokes and that HITCHERS spoofs the ubiquity of serial killers in modern culture. The timing is perfect and would leave a festival audience wanting more.

This, the first installment of A FRAGILE MIND by Joe Swenson, is a standalone show, yet it succeeds marvelously at whetting one’s appetite for what’s to come. PRESS THE RED BUTTON prepares for a revelatory monologue from Jenny that is well worth the wait. I especially admire that she finds herself sitting “in a pool of regret.” I look forward to reading more of this promising series.

The pace and tone of GHOSTS are as addictive as a classic detective story (I’m thinking Dashiell Hammet). Rachel Feeny-Williams shows admirable patience and restraint in the way she unfolds the mystery of a living ghost. I love it that each of Emily’s victims can’t remember any more details about her except that she was pretty (perhaps an insight into the generic beauty standards of unfaithful men?). Really intriguing premise with a terrific payoff that makes this train crime drama well worth the ride!

Halloween good times to be had with THE ALCHEMIST’S GAMBIT. Really enjoyed Sam Heyman’s farcical take on a mad scientist, especially Traveller’s outrage at being paired with Dr. Hassenpfeffer (not the sharpest surgical tool in the draw). And to be honest I love work that contains the word homunculus! Great humor in this piece. The puns are well executed. The jokes had me laughing out loud. Bravo!

Just the thing for Halloween - zombies, playwrights, hilarity - Chris Plumridge-style. I laughed so hard at this clever spoof - brilliant use of repetition with variation - a superb use of dialogue and activity - so visual - but would be even better to see performed because of the slapstick comedy the actor playing Mr./Mrs. Harris Zombie would bring to the role. Never realized the power we playwrights have until I read PLAYWRIGHTS VERSUS ZOMBIES!

This short play about a dropped sock is a big deal. The longer it stays unpicked-up, the more meaning the errant garment takes on. (I love that we aren’t given what kind of sock it is.) It’s the mental places Richter goes with it, always surprising, yet so natural in defining the three characters. PICKUP GAME is such a funny, smart romp!!

A fascinating look at preparation for a sex scene in a film. Mature actors Charlie and Wallace rehearse a love scene at Charlie’s digs and utilize their own self-help version of intimacy direction. With A CAREFULLY PLANNED SPONTANEITY, Scott Sickles manages to construct a perfect scene - erotic while it educates. I love the twin-speak directions they give one another, like learning a complex dance step. And then there’s the stage directions for the real thing! There may have been All About Eve, but this one’s all about Wallace and Charlie.

Perfect for Halloween! Or anytime you want to freak on someone else’s behalf. THEY’RE IN THERE is John Busser at his most maniacal. Really impressive how with just one character, a minimalist set, and some sound effects and voices from a phone - the playwright creates this incredible pressure cooker. A favorite line: “You’re up here, little phantom noises, just making my life hell.” Read it for the intense atmosphere. Read it for the radical surprise. Read it because you love great creepy little plays.