Recommended by Ken Love

Part of why the elements of horror and nightmare work so well in Debra A. Cole's "Dream House" is that everything about the play is couched so snugly in the banalities of real life. Nevertheless, the young couple's plight is very similar to a fairy tale, in which a mundane walk through the woods (or the park) is interrupted by the encounter of a real and formidable monster. And I do not use the word "real" lightly. Highly recommended!!

Gun violence in schools. Bullying. Extremism. And the dilemma of parenting in 21st Century America. This is the living hell depicted in Michael C. O'Day's "Gun Safe". The play is suffocating in the sense that it offers no way out of its amoral conundrum. One can only imagine the impact of a live performance.

I've read and seen many dystopian, futuristic plays. And I have seen many dystopian, futuristic films. Michael C. O'Day's "An Arctic Confederate Christmas" is a dystopian, futuristic work like no other. The play has a hard grip on the senses, and raises itself to the level of parable. A play that is darkly humorous, unsettling, and so utterly relevant to our troubled times. And that's a problem!

Even in today's troubled times, few writers are willing to tackle satire, in the true sense. Michele Clarke's "Third Time's The Charm" fits the bill to perfection. Humor, irony and a relishing wickedness! George Bernard Shaw would love it!!!

This bleak, stark short play is like a razor blade to the gut. Everything about this work feels and is on edge. And Aly Kantor's play works well due a touch of wit throughout. Chilling. Damning in its poetry. Nice work!

Human beings are a mass of imperfections. And families are even messier. But, sometimes, joyfully so! With a slight nod to Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart" (without that plays steady gaze into the abyss), Claudia Haas gives us an intimate, touching snapshot of three Jewish sisters contending with their mother's past and the lingering shadow of her death. The inner battle that each woman wages to avoid the trappings of a tortured life is deeply felt. All that's missing is a live performance!

I am so happy to be a part of the NPX family and to have the privilege of reading so many talented and humanistic playwrights. Janine Sobeck Knighton's "Speechless" wrapped itself around my heart and refuses to let go. I've always been drawn to "dark" plays. And every so often, I will make the sojourn and visit a piece that promises healing and a song of joy. I'm so glad to have taken the off-ramp to read this wonderful play.

I can relate to this wicked tale because of my oppressive Pentacostal upbringing. Every nuance and inflection conjures a tinge of recognition. That's not to say that it wasn't enjoyable. On the contrary, I now feel an urgent need to see this monologue performed. Terrifying, with just a proper dose of wit.

Visceral. Unnerving. Unsettling. And that's just from a reading. I can only imagine how gripping this piece would be in the hands of a capable actor who, having committed wholly to the play, gives a performance that burns in the memory. Believable from beginning to end.

Oh, yeah! "A Blast" was . . . a blast! And I got the joke. Great set up. Wonderful exchanges. And I stayed with it during the entire ride. Paul Smith - you write terrific dialogue, sir! Kudos!!