Recommended by Adam Richter

[2025-10-28]

John Busser's monologues are a wild ride. I listened to the playwright himself deliver this gem and had to go back and read it just so I could treat myself to the language all over again. The imagery, wordplay and detail woven throughout this piece kept me hooked from beginning to end. A Halloween treat for audiences to be sure.

[2025-10-28]

The pacing, the language and the creepiness that comes in like a fog make "Dead Mother" an outstanding solo piece. The nods to Albert Camus are perfectly executed and add both layers and suspense to the torment that the speaker goes through. I would love to see this on a stage. Actors wold have a ball with the language and the physicality of the role.

[2025-10-28]
I have not laughed so hard at a werewolf story since Griffin Dunne in "An American Werewolf in London." Paul Braverman puts a hilarious twist on both the lycanthrope lore and meet-the-in-laws in this comic horror gem. So well done, with a plot twist that is supremely satisfying. Bravo!

[2025-10-27]
Divorce is hard on everyone, especially the cursed objects caught in the middle. John Busser's short is a perfect blend of horror and comedy. You do not need to know the source material — I certainly don't — to appreciate the jokes, the story or the ingenious plot twist. "Half" is an actor's, designer's and (dare I suggest?) puppeteer's delight.

[2025-10-22]
“Playhouse” is a thrilling and laugh-out-loud play about the perfect mate and how far one woman is willing to go to get one. Told with endless possibilities for creative staging, this would be a feast for an actor to sink her teeth into. To say anything else would risk giving the story away, and I’m not about to get on the wrong side of Ellie.

[2025-10-21]

Brent Alles not only nails the late-'80s zeitgeist in the setting and dialogue; he also captures the sense of isolation and loneliness that being a teenage outcast back then: before the internet, before nerdiness became its own kind of cool. And, like the best '80s slasher films, this is scary af, with moments that will linger with the audience long after the stage lights come up.

[2025-10-21]

Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn perfectly captures the awkwardness of teens and the debate over popularity, while infusing it with a horror element so spectacular it takes all my restraint not to spoil the ending. "Here's the Thing" is a terrific horror short that would be an outstanding addition to any short-play festival. Bravo!

[2025-10-17]
"Hibernation" is a warm and funny piece that is just the balm for our ailing faith in humanity. (I say "our" because it can't just be me. Right? Right?) The dialogue crackles like a fireplace and the emotions Scott brings to the surface — depression, longing, amity, hankering for sweets — are natural, never forced, and make us love all three characters. A delightful piece that warms the heart like a nice mug of tea. Bravo!

[2025-10-14]

What an incredible monologue. Samson's pride and lust become his undoing at the hands of a modern-day "Delilah" in this quick and powerful play. The buildup of his story is the perfect fuse to a powder-keg of a last line. Audiences will KNOW that when the lights go down, that's not the end of the story.
"Samson" is a brilliant piece of writing and a treat for an actor to perform on stage. Bravo!

[2025-10-10]

"The Exorcism" is a frightening play — and a perfect fit for an evening of horror shorts — and not only because it speaks to, and is about, our times. Nora Louise Syran makes excellent use of voices, seen and unseen, to build up the horror and create a truly terrifying experience. It's even more terrifying than our current political environment, which I never thought was possible.
I'd love to see (and hear) this on a stage. Bravo!