Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

What starts out as a set-up for a sitcom becomes a fable of humanity and our choices to use our abilities, either real or imagined, for good. The audience is lulled in with the humor and the comedic take on some of the characters, but when one of them reveals a hidden ability, it rapidly but without melodrama becomes a morality tale of choices between good and evil, life and death. It has echoes of "The Twilight Zone" (but with donut holes) and the message is as powerful as any gospel parable.

There are a lot of versions of the myth of Adam and Eve, but few are as creative and grounded as this tale spun by Jon Herbert. God can be a bit of a jerk, Eve wasn't Adam's first wife, and the Serpent presents his case with the slick sales technique that could win over the most doubtful soul. Granted, he had good material -- any story that starts with two naked people and a talking snake is gonna be a hit -- but his in-depth characters rise above the faerie tale world to our own reality.

At the end of the reading at the Valdez Theatre Conference 2025, I asked members in the audience to raise their hand if they had been through what David Adam Gill so well depicted on stage. Nearly all raised their hands, and few of them were middle-aged gay men. Bullying hits all of us in some form, and the aftershocks are permanent. The confrontation between Boris and Dil may be universal, but in this short, sharp play, we see how two people can come to terms with their own demons.

This play held me from the first word to the last beat. Two actors playing multiple roles, ethereal and heartfelt sentiment and harsh realities, balanced so well. The shifting sands beneath these characters and these emotions are essential to the understanding of this play, and I was riveted the whole time. Franky D. Gonzalez is an amazing playwright and this early effort on his part set the course for what was to come.

I saw a reading of this play at the Valdez Theatre Conference 2025, and it stayed with me for hours after: the quiet desperation of the refugee countered by the quiet iciness of the Corrector. It had all of the elements of the best of Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" with its minimalist dialogue that very succinctly told the story in chilling detail. Absolutely stunning.

In the hallowed screwball comedy tradition, two people -- one vibrant and slightly nutty, and one reserved and caught off balance -- reconnect in a hot tub and hilarity ensues. The Playwrights Thriving Reader Series presented a hilarious rendition that ably gave us all the twists and turns worthy of the great comedies, including off-stage characters and a vengeful cardinal (the bird, not the cleric) and of course a snappy and fun-soaked finish. Bring a bag of rice and a towel.

This short play isn't so much about the 2024 election, which one hopes would soon make it a period piece to look back on in years to come as a distant reminder. Christopher Soucy has wisely chosen to make this a timeless lesson on how to deal with unfettered rage - I can imagine certain ancestors feeling the same way about FDR - and turn it to good; or at least make it productive. Chogan embodies philosophies that are universal among the oppressed, and they survived. So will we.

It was a dark and stormy night when I came across this bit of whimsy and -- DING! Oh, captain, my captain, what is going on here...? DING! Yes... and this is perhaps one of the most inventive and actor-ability-rich short plays out there. I read it on my phone and kept giggling and waiting for the next move. John Busser yet again delights, surprises, and takes turns that will keep you guessing. What fun, and wow, actors, you'll never get a better workout.

A seemingly normal day at the airport: passengers coming and going, planes arriving and taking off, and life... goes on. We don't often strike up a conversation with a stranger at the gate, but when it happens it can be very enlightening. For Jim, it's more than just a chat, and Denise is more than just a random stranger. Mike Byham has woven a very nice tale that in its simplicity is very powerful.

When I'm reading a play, I can't help but imagine certain actors reading the parts. In this case, the Narrator is John Lithgow (probably because he did Progresso Soup ads), and the story itself a modern retelling of Goethe's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" with music by Paul Dukas. But Sam Heyman brings a lovingly Jewish take on the need to share the simple gift of love and family. And I can so see Bette Midler playing Gigi. Mazel tov, Sam.