Recommended by Christopher Soucy

Lyrical, dreamy, and bittersweet. Like an old, sad song that is instantly familiar the first time you hear it. This loving presentation of grief and recovery is a banquet of memories and emotions.

I had remarked earlier this very evening about the poetic quality of Miranda Jonte’s writing, and here I am reading a living, breathing, ode to loving and longing. It captivates and undulates, rhythmic as breath when you’re breathless, as beautiful as whatever makes your heart beat faster.

There is a tenuous relationship between the storyteller and the story they tell. Sam Heyman gives us a tumultuous look at that relationship. A wild, mind bending tale of narrators and protagonists, consequences and seasonal allergies.

Unwarranted arrogance is one of the most undesirable traits imaginable. Vince Gatton has given us a most desirable account of someone with that trait. A tale for all of us who have had to suffer that one “friend” who knew it all without knowing anything. A perfect vehicle for teen actors.

The trick to a good Santa story is the question of belief. Cole Dzubak navigates the troubled waters of uncommon belief beautifully in this short play. When you desperately want a Christmas miracle, you can forgive where it comes from. Bravo.

I read this ages ago! Just getting around to recommending! Highly, highly, highly recommend! A feat of Shakespearean knowledge mixed with proper Elizabethan era sorcery. It’s a precursor to steam punk… wood punk? It’s amazing and could easily sit on my shelf next to my Complete Works and Yale Shakespeare collection!

Whoa. This had my heart racing. Dzubak is a master storyteller. Never divulging more than you need to keep your imagination fully fueled yet longing for more. This is a tense, chilling, melancholic piece that thrusts us into a life flashing before someone’s eyes. Great stuff.

This is a wonderful play about strained family dynamics. About the pressure to look perfect, if only for the sake of an overbearing parent. About the cost of that pressure. It’s a great short play that highlights sibling affections.

I am diabetic. My wife uses the phrase “allergic to sugar” to try and gently curb me away from the good stuff. I empathize with Lyndsay. This definitely hits home. Of course, I am a very bad diabetic. Merry Christmas.

Debra Cole walks us through the beauty of a mundane holiday task. She holds our hands and reassures us that there is a universality to family dynamics. And then she leads us into another dark but familiar place. One not as easy to accept, but equally full of beauty. A gentle, loving short play that gives us a dose of what’s truly important.