Recommended by Scott Sickles

A powerful testimonial about war, the military, the inheritance of masculine expectation, and the nature and cost of survival. While we don’t know who Joseph is talking to – a debriefing, a shrink, a chaplain – we get a strong impression that this conversation is either highly confidential or should have been. Elegant and raw, dramatic without histrionics, its power lies in its simplicity and clarity – two things Joseph wasn’t provided with in combat. Soucy paints a vividly detailed picture and ultimately sticks the landing!

Two oddball things I love: cosmic horror and administrative humor. In Christopher Soucy’s hands those are two great tastes that taste great together! This is a terrific piece for a actor who specializes in deadpan comic delivery and a sound designer who specializes in horrific inhuman noises that also bring the funny. For those who have had to explain extenuating circumstances to a financial aid advisor, I hope this evokes some empathy. Dry and wry, cosmically funny!

Cathro’s follow-up to Monica Cross's THE CAGE WHICH HOLDS A HEART maintains the original's grittiness and protagonist's verbosity while moving the genre into something resembling neo-noir. It works beautifully, both as a stand-alone questioning by police and as an evolution – it's as though Sabrina has returned from an off-kilter alternate dimension and has landed hard in an uncompromisingly real world. The conversation is suspenseful and darkly effervescent. A strong two-hander with complex roles and a great potential for elegant visual storytelling.

Simultaneously gritty and surreal, Cross has fashioned a captivating piece of working class expressionism that plays like the love child of Kafka and Odets. The circumstances pit a women with no boundaries - conversational or personal - against a man who is all divisions and restrictions. The contraption provides costume designers and prop wranglers a fascinating challenge. The writing is so atmospheric, you can smell the mustiness of the apartment. Gabriel's secrets are especially fascinating and heartfelt, and one can't help but hope he ultimately finds grace.

Oh, this was exquisite!

Mom’s monologue dueling with the fast and buoyant patter between her grown kids Anna and Jack evokes a beautiful dichotomy of feeling. The playfulness between siblings is quite joyful that even the mother they appear to be ignoring doesn’t mind. Then again, they do describe her as an eternal optimist.

The monologue is a symphony of words that while poetic is never purple. Rather, it’s a heartfelt confession of something staggering and profound, yet possessing a whimsical pragmatism and the beauty of the titular winter light.

The ending is a joyful knockout!

Previously on…

Brett met Chip! Then Chip sorted stuff out with his bestie Jessica. Now, Brett is learning to get real thanks to his PoliSci classmate Elena who is beautifully down-to-earth and allergic to nonsense.

Heyman has given us a modern-mini-Shaw play with two Queer characters and PowerPoint! It’s one thing to say “all politics is personal” and another to live it, and these two characters bring that dichotomy to life. The conversation’s power comes from their intimate struggles, and their history emerges organically as does the philosophy. A strong stand-alone piece amplified by its previous companions.

Not all redemption stories are the same,. Many plumb the depths of self-discovery, accepting accountability for one’s sins and transgressions, leading to an acceptance of who one is, what one has done, and how one can be forgiven.

This is not that story.

McClain captures all the umbrage and entitlement of DC Cathro’s original Emily allowing the guilt we see at the end of that play to germinate and blossom here. Meanwhile, a new convenience store cashier has a very different attitude proving a perfect foil for Emily’s emotional maelstrom.

You’ll also want that Kit-Kat too!

Not all heroes wear capes, not all protestors carry signs, and not all farces need slamming doors. Sometimes entitlement-fueled righteous indignation and a bewildered yet pragmatic conscience are enough.

Here, two people stand with one purloined box of vino (is it still “vino” if it’s in a box?) and the funny comes so fast and so furious, Feydeaux would need a breather. Emily’s sense of privilege and entitlement is set aflame by a genuine unfairness that has inspired a disproportionate response. Poor Zach, the voice of conscience and reason, must come to the rescue. Poor, poor Zach… Enjoy!

I for one am NOT rooting for this couple!

I’m not judging them. I’m really not in a position to for reasons I will most certanly not divulge here!

But as far as breakup plays go… sometimes the less said the better because even four little words can be too many and then this happens! As hilarous and light as this scene is, it also has the disturbing ring of truth. But that’s not our business and I will not ask about it!

I can say that these are great characters in a terrific play!

Breathtakingly funny and deeply poignant, Dickens chronicles a critical turning point in a friendship in this celebration of geekdom, expression, and the phenomenon that was ‘90s public access TV. The dynamic between the three young women in the studio is classic! Personal pecadilloes clash with illusions of professionalism, spurred on by a cavalcade of callers so fervently pathetic (and pathetically fervent), one can’t help but love them. The callers are a gift to voice actors who are great at the post-pubescent crackling of awkward late bloomers. The conflict is rollicking and relentless. You’ll want to tune in!