Recommended by Liam Castellan

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    A haunting, urgent story of family, faith & survival. Protagonist Rachel as the only character who doubles smaller roles is a v. smart choice: elevates the cost savings + added theatricality (assigning the doubling to whoever) to something greater: an expression of Rachel's search for her grandparents' story. While many small-cast plays also end up making their ideas and issues also feel small, Yarchun's skill keeps the ideas and feelings feel very very big. I'm so glad I read this.

    A haunting, urgent story of family, faith & survival. Protagonist Rachel as the only character who doubles smaller roles is a v. smart choice: elevates the cost savings + added theatricality (assigning the doubling to whoever) to something greater: an expression of Rachel's search for her grandparents' story. While many small-cast plays also end up making their ideas and issues also feel small, Yarchun's skill keeps the ideas and feelings feel very very big. I'm so glad I read this.

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    A delightfully playful meta-theatre short play that keeps finding chuckles and little twists long after many other writers would have ridden/written the premise straight into the ground. The characters' halting attempts at improv are charming, and then they get up some steam and tip into hilarious melodrama. If you've ever acted in a short play and craved the agency to rewrite it, this is equal parts wish-fulfillment and cautionary tale.

    A delightfully playful meta-theatre short play that keeps finding chuckles and little twists long after many other writers would have ridden/written the premise straight into the ground. The characters' halting attempts at improv are charming, and then they get up some steam and tip into hilarious melodrama. If you've ever acted in a short play and craved the agency to rewrite it, this is equal parts wish-fulfillment and cautionary tale.

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    This workplace farce works great on its own: fast-paced, funny, with Nelson steadily ratcheting up the stakes and the wildness. But the randomness of the "anything-goes" casting is a subtle stroke of brilliance that takes it to another level, forcing the audience to think about their subconscious biases when it comes to outcasts, busybodies, lovers, and positions of authority.

    This workplace farce works great on its own: fast-paced, funny, with Nelson steadily ratcheting up the stakes and the wildness. But the randomness of the "anything-goes" casting is a subtle stroke of brilliance that takes it to another level, forcing the audience to think about their subconscious biases when it comes to outcasts, busybodies, lovers, and positions of authority.

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    Very fun. I guffawed several times. Several surprises along the way. The ending I could not see coming, yet it felt very right as a landing pad for this wild and clever play. Very madcap, but keeping room for heart. The characters are all so well-drawn that even when they made an obviously bad decision, I kept rooting for them. You should absolutely "roll the dice" on this hilarious unit-set comedy!

    Very fun. I guffawed several times. Several surprises along the way. The ending I could not see coming, yet it felt very right as a landing pad for this wild and clever play. Very madcap, but keeping room for heart. The characters are all so well-drawn that even when they made an obviously bad decision, I kept rooting for them. You should absolutely "roll the dice" on this hilarious unit-set comedy!

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    Requiem for a small business. I grieved along with the staff, and celebrated, and at times laughed out loud. I got emotionally invested in every single character, all are strongly written and would be a treat to play.
    Perhaps the highest compliment I can give this well-written script is that I am currently sad that I can't ever visit Kirschgarten Brewing. I'm sad I can't go to a fictional brewery, and I don't even like beer!

    Requiem for a small business. I grieved along with the staff, and celebrated, and at times laughed out loud. I got emotionally invested in every single character, all are strongly written and would be a treat to play.
    Perhaps the highest compliment I can give this well-written script is that I am currently sad that I can't ever visit Kirschgarten Brewing. I'm sad I can't go to a fictional brewery, and I don't even like beer!

  • Liam Castellan: Eggs by James Kelsey Nelson
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    A very funny, absurdist spin on the age-old drama of Demanding Diner With Weird Request versus Exhausted Server Who Just Wants To Follow Food Safety Regulations And/Or Go Home. Fun twist at the end.
    P.S. The offstage cook is my new dream role.

    A very funny, absurdist spin on the age-old drama of Demanding Diner With Weird Request versus Exhausted Server Who Just Wants To Follow Food Safety Regulations And/Or Go Home. Fun twist at the end.
    P.S. The offstage cook is my new dream role.

    ”
  • Liam Castellan: Bubblegum Killer by James Kelsey Nelson
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    A well-paced comedy with two very fun roles.
    Now see, in your run-of-the-mill "serial killer shows up live on air" comedy, the anchor wouldn't stand a chance. But in JKN's hands, her NEWSCASTERING powers level the playing field in surprising ways.
    The teleprompter joke alone is solid gold, I was giggling for almost the entire rest of the play.

    A well-paced comedy with two very fun roles.
    Now see, in your run-of-the-mill "serial killer shows up live on air" comedy, the anchor wouldn't stand a chance. But in JKN's hands, her NEWSCASTERING powers level the playing field in surprising ways.
    The teleprompter joke alone is solid gold, I was giggling for almost the entire rest of the play.

    ”
  • Liam Castellan: The Dhalkorium by James Kelsey Nelson
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    A tight little audio drama that mixes humor and suspense in ways that heighten both.

    A tight little audio drama that mixes humor and suspense in ways that heighten both.

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  • Liam Castellan: The Rocking Chair by James Kelsey Nelson
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    This play starts as a wacky/unsettling "how did this possibly happen" argument between siblings clearing out their dead grandparent's home (a stressful time, heightened by the impossibility of what they're dealing with). A short play could survive on just that premise, but Kelsey takes the script further and ends with a genuine connection about family and grief. I won't spoil the final moment, but it's a fun surprise that makes you rethink the initial plot point.

    This play starts as a wacky/unsettling "how did this possibly happen" argument between siblings clearing out their dead grandparent's home (a stressful time, heightened by the impossibility of what they're dealing with). A short play could survive on just that premise, but Kelsey takes the script further and ends with a genuine connection about family and grief. I won't spoil the final moment, but it's a fun surprise that makes you rethink the initial plot point.

    ”
  • Liam Castellan: Cataclysm by James Kelsey Nelson
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    Witty and sharp two-hander. Snappy dialogue, fun reveal at the end. Most of us have known someone who cares way more about their pet way than their significant other, and Nelson takes that premise to its logical extreme.

    Witty and sharp two-hander. Snappy dialogue, fun reveal at the end. Most of us have known someone who cares way more about their pet way than their significant other, and Nelson takes that premise to its logical extreme.

    ”