Recommended by Ken Love

Screwball comedy or farce, you'll not only get the joke, but if you've felt the pulse of our contemporary socio/political dilemma, laughter isn't all that will be expressed: you'll feel a slight tinge of dark foreboding. Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn has given us not just a wonderfully written short play, but a commentary for our time. Kudos!

"The Friends of Eddie Coyle" meets . . . Abbott & Costello! Well, sort of. Dan West's "Hitman Blues" was an absolutely sinful delight to read. Dark comedy with a touch of poignance at the end. Not easy to pull off. But when something like this works, it's irrestible. Nicely done, Dan.

There is a strange lyricism to the confessions in Stephen Byrum's "Bound", a tortured lyricism that grips the senses of the reader or audience member. A short yet incisive work that's sure to be made powerful by capable actors. And let me add that it took tremendous self-confidence on the part of the writer to share such a work. Kudos!

Please! While reading this monologue, while watching the performance of this monologue - stay with it until the close! Because the "punchline", if you will, at the end is what makes the work. Asher Wyndham has proven himself to be an adept yet untamed and blistering social critic. And not a writer who is simply "on the edge". There's so much to explore in his work.

Oh, yes!! The resistance has begun! In full force! Asher Wyndham's "Mother Hen: A Monologue" is a harrowing rant on the eve of a nightmare. Like Hubert Selby, jr.'s "Last Exit to Brooklyn", the writing is hyper-stream of consciousness, with an unrelenting grip on the senses. This piece demands a production. And the demand would be just as great upon the actor fortunate enough to assume the role. Well done!

Horror, in my opinion, has yet to receive its due on the American stage. Fortunately, Abhisek Bhattacharya has given us "The Snare", a play that raises the horror genre to the level of parable. The character of Irene is especially well drawn and convincing. A solid work that demands a full production.

The mark of an accomplished satirist, in my opinion, is the ability to laugh even while staring deeply into the abyss. AI represents a future that many of us dread. With "All Too HumAIn", John Busser proves himself quite adept at dealing with this contentious topic with humor and a touch of the absurd. A pleasure to read through and through.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: the mark of good writing is to leave the reader or audience member wanting more at the end. Rich Helms "Accidents Arranged" is as juicy and deliriously wicked as a second helping of desert that should be avoided. I even read it twice! Oh, yes! This short piece had me!!

Each of us, at some point in time, will have to face that black day. And I truly admire writers who, while they yet live, make the attempt to deal in their own way with the finality of being mortal. Rich Helms w/ Dorothea Helms have rendered unto us a gift with "On The Edge". The piece is life-affirming without being mawkish or twee. Which is no easy feat.

Thank you, Cam Eickmeyer, for writing "Exit Poll" and giving many of us a reason to stand back and laugh at the utter absurdity of it all. When it's effective, satire is like a blade to the heart of illusion. Nicely done!