Recommended by Jordan Elizabeth Henry

  • To Fall in Love
    17 Jan. 2018
    This play blew me away. Lane has made every emotion in this piece immediate: the humor, the fury, the mourning. An intimate dissection of a floundering marriage, and a gentle exploration of grief. These characters would be a joyful challenge for an actor and actress -- Merryn and Wyatt are deep, complicated, and intense. The final moments took my breath away.
  • Recess
    16 Jan. 2018
    What a beautiful, heart-wrenching, accessible short play. RECESS is a ten-minute play done right: it gives us so much backstory through action while propelling the play forward to its sweet, satisfying end. The imagination of the young portrayed by the experienced is one of my favorite things to see onstage. Terrifically fun and subtle roles for an actor and actress. Nostalgic, real, honest, and gentle -- a really triumphant short play.
  • Bed Ride
    16 Jan. 2018
    This play is a hilarious romp with heart. The characters are surprisingly deep and lovable, despite (and because of) their flaws. Aggie and Bob are such sweethearts, and I particularly found the budding friendship between Aggie and Twinkie to be sublime. BED RIDE has something for everyone -- a huge crowd-pleaser that will have your audiences begging for more. This play would be easy to produce (a single set makes staging a breeze) and perfect for a larger ensemble cast.
  • 1 Bed 1 Bath
    16 Jan. 2018
    This is a lovely, heartbreaking short play about love. What and who are you willing to fight for? How much are you willing to sacrifice to get the attention of the person you love? An interesting spin on a breakup play; the added power dynamics, and the way those dynamics change throughout the piece, are interesting and unique. It would be an excellent addition to a short play festival.
  • MARVEL-OUS MONICA; IN WHICH MONICA LEWINSKY IS A SUPERHERO HELL-BENT ON REVENGE
    13 Jan. 2018
    Oh, wow, this play. It's hilarious; it's deeply moving; it's full of kindness, forgiveness, and truth. This play *had me* at page one, but it quickly, and repeatedly, blasted way past my expectations. I'm so glad that this play exists in the world. Everyone should read it, and theatres around the country should form a queue to produce it. Brilliant roles for women, imaginative staging, and a triumphant ending that will have audiences applauding and (if they're like me) openly weeping.
  • Gone
    12 Jan. 2018
    GONE is an quiet, tension-packed, exceptional piece of theatre. Ward has given us complicated characters who are traversing some very complicated emotional and practical waters. Who decides what we're owed for the sacrifices we make? Who decides who is 'most deserving' of the physical things we leave behind us when we're gone? And - ultimately - what makes a family? This play is a great character study, with four great roles for women.
  • The Wrong Jen Harper
    10 Jan. 2018
    God, I love this short play. It had me laughing out loud from beginning to end. Such a weird, unique idea: the antagonist of this story is the protagonist's name. Hayet has got great comedic timing and a unique point of view. But this play isn't just a surface-level romp -- it has substance, kindness, and dignity. I felt like I wanted to fist-pump when I read the last line. A great short play that is screaming to be produced.
  • WHAT SOME GIRLS DO FOR MALL GIFT CERTIFICATES
    10 Jan. 2018
    As in many of his other plays, Wyndham sheds light on the underground lives of the marginalized. I want to gather Larissa and Julie into my arms and fix their broken, desperate situation. By giving us this story, Asher has given us the gift of discomfort -- it is a call to action; you cannot read or see this piece of theatre without wanting to lend a helping hand to those who are struggling to survive.
  • MOSTLY CLOUDY
    10 Jan. 2018
    A simple, tech-free date turns into a cautionary tale about relationships in the digital age. Funny and quirky, this short play would be a great addition to an evening of comedy.
  • Calpurnia Delivers Caesar's Papers to Mark Antony
    10 Jan. 2018
    "Where do they send the forgotten widows of great men?" Calpurnia mourns the loss of her husband, and her place in her world, after Julius Caesar is betrayed. Weaver makes the world of antiquity politically-relevant and supercharged. Lovely writing, nuanced conflict, with an ending that feels like a punch in the gut.

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