Recommended by Christopher Soucy

Beautiful. Grief is comprised of the things we can’t let go of. This short piece is a heart breaking examination of pain and what we do to soothe it. Whether we embrace or suppress, our processes are unique. And even when they are polar opposites, they are individually valid.

Morey Norkin delivers a pitch perfect noir entry to the Christmas landscape. This is a fun romp through noir tropes and Pie, PI stand shoulder to shoulder with Marlowe and Spade. I am an ardent fan of the genre, and this short play checks all the boxes.

Not your typical love story, but what love story is? This is a heart warming, blood chilling, spine tingling tale of finding someone and something that resonates with you. Miranda Jonte embraces the light that is so often obscured in a sea of darkness. May we all be so lucky to chase dreams into the shadows and back out again.

As a child, I visited Dachau. It was a part of a school trip. My dad was stationed in Germany. This play resonates with the full weight of history. Danielle Wirsansky brilliantly weaves a truly theatrical experience guided by the words of a man who witnessed history in a way so few have. Theater like this is essential. It captures voices that we must listen to.

Sometimes the roar of the ocean can drown out simple conversation. Here we have the tale of a couple, enjoying some beach time, together time, and a whole heaping load of misheard statements. Philip Middleton Williams delivers a surreal day at the beach.

A solid horror tale that plays games with your heart. The dread is palpable. There is nothing worse than righteous evil. The evil that smiles as it crushes you.

It’s hard to find a good man. So why bother? Get yourself an egg nog powered Christmas Beast! This is an odd and delightfully bizarre holiday escapade. Destined to be a holiday classic.

Scott Sickles is a master of character connectivity. What is said, what is unsaid, and the volumes of information in-between. Like Bergman, Sickles creates a sprawling world beyond the scene that the characters fully inhabit. I am left wanting more of these characters, their relationships, and their baked goods.

Sweet. Delightful. Warm. This play delivers a heartfelt message of hope in a disconnected time. Ash is a perfect monster to reflect the emptiness we may feel during a season meant to bring us together. It’s a lovely ode to the magic of Christmas.

A new Cryptid? Perhaps. Peter Fenton gives us the dreaded Thanksgiving family politics dynamic wrapped up in a delightful tradition that allows for warm recollections of a less divisive time. It’s a delicate balancing act to accept what we can’t change and to change what we can, this play puts out the call.