Recommended by Arianna Rose

Having had the great good luck to grow up in the same town with the playwright and his family, reading MIROU OF KALMARIA was having a front row seat to their family origin. But even if I didn't know the playwright, this second of the Madre de Israel cycle is an absorbing, masterful continuation of the saga I loved reading about Mirou, her circle of friends, and the developing relationship between Mirou and Isaac. Joha the fool is along for this second play of the trilogy, and his antics belie his sobering fortune-telling at the conclusion. Read and produce!

This entire trilogy by playwright David Crespy is an aural and visual treat. This first part, City of Miracles and Wonders, introduces us to host of characters that will stay with you long past the last page. Deftly employing some theatrical magic with Joha, Crespy expertly weaves a world much of us knew little about, and yet is so resonant and timely with communities across our planet. I particularly loved the circle of friends who hold up Doudoun and her desires. Would love to see all three produced!

I had the good fortune to hear Bronze Buddha read in the Plays on Purpose writers group, and now to read it again is a double pleasure. Playwright Robert Weibezahl creates an affecting character in Andi, who looks back to her ten-year-old self to solve the mystery of her uncle's possession. Touching, funny, and sad, Bronze Buddha is a beautiful monologue for any actor. It will make you think about the talismans we leave behind and the mystery of being human. An expertly crafted monologue.

A pointed and very funny satire with more than a passing resemblance to certain headlines in the United States. Playwright Lee Lawing has crafted a dark comedy that will make you squirm as much as smile - and that's a good thing! Love the twist with the final line of the play. Read and produce!

Oh, how I relate to this on so many levels. Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn has written a blistering, sarcastic take on fat-shaming, casting practices, and how women treat each other. It takes a gifted playwright to pack so much into a short piece, and Floyd-Priskorn meets the challenge and then some. CASTING is a piece that will resonate long after the last 'contestant' leaves the room.

That last line. What a gut punch. Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn has written a taut, terrifying tale in Delete. This is masterful writing, with layers that reveal itself with each re-reading. To say much more is to give it away, so please read and produce!

I had the great delight of hearing a few readings of this in a writers group. Playwright Marj O'Neill-Butler has written a masterful comic short on technology...but it's really about mother/daughter/sibling relationships. As always, her craft is impeccable, and the theatricality jumps off the page. "What's App, Doc?" will delight down to the last swipe.

Such a huge belly laugh in the final stage direction (Direction!), a potent reminder that theatre is also about action and what’s seen, not only what is heard.
Playwright Robert Weibezahl creates a nuanced, honest look at curmudgeon vs gps; with some beautiful metaphorical implications. A fantastic monologue for any actor.

I have had the great good luck of hearing So Much in Common read a few times in our writers group. Playwright Karen Fix Curry deftly creates a nuanced portrait of two girls poised on the brink of womanhood who find a most unexpected common denominator. The richness of the details and character choices make for a very satisfying ending to this play. Read it and produce it!

Bruce Karp is a master at titles and LGBTQ+-themed work, and Incoming Male is a prime example of his craft. It packs quite the 'punch' as playwright Karp takes on the ghosts of our past who bullied, and if and when redemption is called for. And a shout out to Howard Beach, where I lived! I would love to see this play produced.