Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

I watched "The Twilight Zone" when it originally aired, and I remember thinking, before I watched it, that it was a horror series with monsters and such. In truth, and as Ian Donley makes it very clear, it was nothing like the "chewing gum for the eyes" that Frank Lloyd Wright called TV of the time. It was the most honest depiction of the human condition with all its faults, and a refuge for those of us who knew exactly how the Young Man felt, and who knew who the real monsters were.

April 1989: A kitchen in a house in Longmont, Colorado. I'm trying to figure out how to put a collar on Sam, a squirming puppy who insists on licking my face. I close my eyes and send a message far into the future to my friend John Busser and relay this moment so he will immortalize it for the ages. And now that message has been received and so well done. Good dog!

I loved the balance of hope and desperation, taken together that give Nancy the courage tempered by the uncertainty so many of us can understand, to take the first tentative steps out of her self-imposed exile. I wanted to say "you've got this," and cheer her on. Darrin J. Friedman has a fine ear for what she's going through, and I would love to see this performed.

I'm of an age where stand-up comics were the staple of TV variety shows and Vegas acts as well as the Catskills summers and Miami Beach winters. It was old-school -- "Take my wife, please" -- and this quick and hilarious piece by Norkin & Busser -- a comedy duo if there ever was one -- pays tribute to the old days by going back to the really old days. You can't miss a word, and I chuckled at the timeless -- literally -- set-ups and rim-shots. Bravo!

Yep. And this is why sobriety chips come in a variety of colors.

I saw this performed by John Rubinstein and directed by Peter Ellenstein at the 2024 Valdez Theatre Conference. It is an amazing piece of theater, not just for historical value but also for bringing the man and his time alive. Dwight Eisenhower’s insight into history and what Americas role in the world is inspiring, even more so today. Thank you, Richard, it’s a beautiful play.

I was treated to a fine performance of this charming and funny play at the Miami One-Acts Summer Session 24, and it brought the house down. Lois has it all planned out to meet the perfect man, checking all the right boxes. The unfortunate men, quirks and all, are no match for her requirements, but karma steps in and deals her a perfect payback. Although it is aimed at us older folks, there's no doubt that this scenario could apply to any age group, and so it should be. Brava, Marj!

I was going to say that this was another one of Rand Higbee‘s quirky comedies, but no two plays of his are alike. But you really don’t know that until you actually hear the play. That’s in keeping with Schröedinger‘s experiments and Rand’s playwriting. I saw it read at the 2024 Valdez Theater Conference, and now I want to see it on stage. And for some strange reason, I want a cookie.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was a conversation that I've overheard or even been a part of many times in the past: a coming-of-age moment that we all go through, whether we're human or leonine. By casting it the way Sam Heyman has and giving it the setting that he has, we are able to remove ourselves from our own experiences and see it objectively... and truthfully. The comic twist of making this about anthropomorphic lions adds to the insight: which one are we, and does pride goeth before the fall?

I was treated to this hilarious anatomy lesson at the 2024 Valdez Theatre Conference. Tom Moran has a great gift for dry and understated humor and I enjoyed every moment of this exploration of human interaction with ourselves and our bodies. It was quite the organ recital.