Recommended by Scott Sickles

Harrowing.

This monologue deals with stigmata. Not the religious miracle bleeding kind, though Christian imagery plays a strong role, but rather "the plural of 'stigma'." There's the stigma of mental illness, the stigma of getting help, the stigma of denial and the stigma borne when abandonmen seems to be a causeway to freedom. And then there's reality! Reality doesn't care about your shame or your paralysis. Reality just does.

Cole presents duelling medical realities: a husband losing ground to his wife's schizophrenia and his own willingness/ability to deal with it. A vivid window into very real hells.

As someone who more than one person has dedicated their rendition of “My Funny Valentine” to, I have a strong appreciation of context.

Many a special occasion has been sullied by those who have no idea what their literary allusions refer to. What makes it worse is when nobody else knows either. And who suffers? The people who do know!

Cross (in what I’m betting is at least a semi-autobiographical nightmare) presents in stark detail the curse of a good liberal arts education. This monologue with vindicate many and I hope bring shame upon many more!

These two characters should each/both be wearing sashes that say “MISS COMMUNICATION” because they’re really vying for that crown! I recommend reading this twice so you can get the preconceptions out of the way. Shep and Mitchell would approve of this approach. Heyman creates terrific non-binary characters, one who takes a while to warm up to conversation and another who won’t shut up. They’re lovely foils even after they find common ground. And what fertile ground it is. Mix and match when you’re casting! You’ll create beautiful dynamics in all kinds of combinations!

The most heartfelt TALES installment yet. Heyman has become as comfortable and familiar with Chip and Brett and they have with each other. As such we get to know who they are without feeling like we’re being reintroduced. Even without the previous plays, you will instantly understand them and their plight. (It’s impossible to believe this is only their third play together in this series.)

That plight, being in a closeted relationship when one of you is out, is difficult, complicated, and presented with great fairness. A battle wages between expectations and limitations and the results are powerful.

WOMEN OF THE HILL! TOGEHTER AT LAST!

Jessica and Elena made strong impressions in earlier installments. Never mere sounding boards, they’re bright and fierce in very different ways.

Jessica is the avatar for ADHD and what a great rep she is! Here, Heyman depicts her emotional dysregulation and rejection sensitive dysphoria (look it up; it’s real) with meticulous accuracy, from meltdown to people pleasing. But she’s always Jessica the person first. Elena is grounded and no-nonsense, a complex character in her own right struggling with her own problems.

This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

In case you were wondering if was possible to write a farce with three characters on a sofa who don’t get up, IT IS!!! This hilarious metaphorical door-slammer works due to the return of ADHD avatar Jessica. Depicted with accuracy, complexity and heart, she’s a strong character in her own right and a prefect catalyst.

Heyman skillfully uses backstory as accountability to give access to readers unfamiliar with earlier installments. We know how far these guys have come, how badly they’ve stalled, and how much they want to succeed. Beautifully rendered, shamelessly romatic. A perfect ending.

There but for the grace of God…

I can attest that when you have ADHD, and you learn what it’s actually doing to you, YOU TALK ABOUT IT! You constantly feel you have to defend or at least explain your idiosyncrasies, which are a result of your neurology. Cross captures this perfectly in this “oh dear god why am I speaking my own subtext and explaining my backstory when I could be enjoying myself?” hellscape. Supremely relatable and if you aren’t among the afflicted, very educational! It should amp your empathy. I mean, she explains it all! Bravo!

Genuinely unsettling!

I have no tolerance for bullies. What starts out as a tale of comeuppance takes a whimsically fun turn that... well... you should see for yourself. Dzubak vivisects childhood politics and diplomacy, capturing the rage of the oppressed and how toxic and dangerous that festering anger can be once it has a place to go.

Not only should we be careful what we wish for, but especially who we empower.

This had me smiling ear-to-ear all the way through! Feeny-Williams pulls off a great trick: a truly joyous pandemic play. One way she does this is by not mentioning the pandemic at all. But it’s the first day that pubs are open, so…

It’s a fast and fun five minutes from sit-down to sip among people you wish you were hanging out with. Cheers!

Not only is Duncan Pflaster made for Greek mythology, Greek mythology was made for Duncan Pflaster!

Spicy and saucy from the get-go, this sexy spectacle is perfectly paced and plotted and somehow miraculously never gratuitous (though your mileage may vary) given who the protagonist is and (ahem) what he does...

While being first and foremost a romp, Pflaster provides abundant emotion and plenty to think about as we watch Dionysus start to grow up. You may even find yourself thinking fondly and deeply about it days after.