Recommended by David Templeton

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    "Beatrix Potter Must Die!" is a true delight. It's a fine and furry fusion of science fiction, comedy, literary criticism and social satire. Patrick Gabridge's tidy little short play is as clever and entertaining and full of surprises as it is laugh-out-loud funny and deeply satisfying.

    "Beatrix Potter Must Die!" is a true delight. It's a fine and furry fusion of science fiction, comedy, literary criticism and social satire. Patrick Gabridge's tidy little short play is as clever and entertaining and full of surprises as it is laugh-out-loud funny and deeply satisfying.

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    Having enjoyed some of Deborah Yarchun's other works, and inspired by a recent review of "Preservation" (describing a production presented by First Look Buffalo Theatre Company), I quickly sought out the script, and (after telling myself I'd just read the first scene and come back later for the rest), I ended up reading it all in one sitting. Yarchun's cleverly unfolding mystery is carried along on a wave of rich, emotionally dense character-building. The ending truly pays off, powerfully so.

    Having enjoyed some of Deborah Yarchun's other works, and inspired by a recent review of "Preservation" (describing a production presented by First Look Buffalo Theatre Company), I quickly sought out the script, and (after telling myself I'd just read the first scene and come back later for the rest), I ended up reading it all in one sitting. Yarchun's cleverly unfolding mystery is carried along on a wave of rich, emotionally dense character-building. The ending truly pays off, powerfully so.

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    As a fan of Christopher Moore's books ("A Dirty Job," "Anima Rising") and also of Austin Tichenor's work with the literary comedy-troupe The Reduced Shakespeare Company, I cannot imagine a better playwright to adapt Moore's foul-and-frisky "Fool" than Tichenor. Having now read the script, I can confirm it's a match made in bawdy-comedy-Heaven. The trickier adaptive challenges (like staging a sex act taking place through a hole in a monastery wall) are extremely well handled. Check this one out!

    As a fan of Christopher Moore's books ("A Dirty Job," "Anima Rising") and also of Austin Tichenor's work with the literary comedy-troupe The Reduced Shakespeare Company, I cannot imagine a better playwright to adapt Moore's foul-and-frisky "Fool" than Tichenor. Having now read the script, I can confirm it's a match made in bawdy-comedy-Heaven. The trickier adaptive challenges (like staging a sex act taking place through a hole in a monastery wall) are extremely well handled. Check this one out!

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    Wow. This is the kind of short, stinging, perfectly pointed play that, for those who've given their lives to the theater (like its agonized protagonist) will make you want to read out loud to whoever is nearest, but then struggle to get through it without laughing though the funniest lines or choking up on the truest ones. There are observations here that I've felt but never seen uttered so clearly. 'Lear, Interrupted' is devastating and gorgeous. What a meal it would be for the right actor.

    Wow. This is the kind of short, stinging, perfectly pointed play that, for those who've given their lives to the theater (like its agonized protagonist) will make you want to read out loud to whoever is nearest, but then struggle to get through it without laughing though the funniest lines or choking up on the truest ones. There are observations here that I've felt but never seen uttered so clearly. 'Lear, Interrupted' is devastating and gorgeous. What a meal it would be for the right actor.

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    'The Red Man' is an extraordinary play, and a wildly entertaining read. The characters pop and crackle with gorgeously-crafted, impressively lively dialogue and real storytelling electricity. I love Johnson's writing so much, and that includes his approach to stage directions, which read like poetry and are frequently as stunning and beautiful as the story itself.

    'The Red Man' is an extraordinary play, and a wildly entertaining read. The characters pop and crackle with gorgeously-crafted, impressively lively dialogue and real storytelling electricity. I love Johnson's writing so much, and that includes his approach to stage directions, which read like poetry and are frequently as stunning and beautiful as the story itself.

  • David Templeton: A Charlie Brownstein Hanukkah by Julius Galacki
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    I'm an enormous fan of 'Peanuts,' and being a playwright AND the co-host of a podcast about 'Peanuts' and its global impact, I went looking for script that use the characters in satirical ways to make points, either about the world at large, or Charles Schultz's comic strip itself. This made me laugh. Nicely done. It would work well in a program of shorts that take pop cultural icons and have crazy fun with them. I would actually support a show like that. Nicely done, Julius.

    I'm an enormous fan of 'Peanuts,' and being a playwright AND the co-host of a podcast about 'Peanuts' and its global impact, I went looking for script that use the characters in satirical ways to make points, either about the world at large, or Charles Schultz's comic strip itself. This made me laugh. Nicely done. It would work well in a program of shorts that take pop cultural icons and have crazy fun with them. I would actually support a show like that. Nicely done, Julius.

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  • David Templeton: Steep Step Stoop by Jono Samarro
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    Layered with sadness, humor and a touch mystery, this brief look into the lives of a retired couple is like a neat little hat trick, Employing a bit of skillful misdirection to make us stink. The story is about one thing - the curious actions of a neighbor who won’t go into her house, when is actually about something entirely different: the shooting shifting relationship of the long-married couple who has been occupied with watching her. And for good measure, there’s a harmonica.

    Layered with sadness, humor and a touch mystery, this brief look into the lives of a retired couple is like a neat little hat trick, Employing a bit of skillful misdirection to make us stink. The story is about one thing - the curious actions of a neighbor who won’t go into her house, when is actually about something entirely different: the shooting shifting relationship of the long-married couple who has been occupied with watching her. And for good measure, there’s a harmonica.

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  • David Templeton: Capacity by Rebecca Louise Miller
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    For nearly two decades, I happily reviewed theater in Sonoma County, and to this day, Rebecca Louise Miller’s "Capacity" (at Main Stage West theater) remains one of the most emotionally satisfying theatrical experiences I enjoyed during those years. Gorgeously written, tenderly structured and at times bracingly surreal, this "cosmic anti–love story" (to borrow a line from my 2016 review) is honest, insightful, pleasantly strange and compellingly lovely and, yes, even a bit romantic.

    For nearly two decades, I happily reviewed theater in Sonoma County, and to this day, Rebecca Louise Miller’s "Capacity" (at Main Stage West theater) remains one of the most emotionally satisfying theatrical experiences I enjoyed during those years. Gorgeously written, tenderly structured and at times bracingly surreal, this "cosmic anti–love story" (to borrow a line from my 2016 review) is honest, insightful, pleasantly strange and compellingly lovely and, yes, even a bit romantic.

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  • David Templeton: Fault Lines by Rebecca Louise Miller
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    I saw this play in 2012, in Sonoma County. I still think of it from time to time. In this powerful, yet frequently funny examination of grief, regret and resilience, Miller's storytelling and smart dialogue provide juicy stuff for the actors to make a meal of, while remaining sensitive to the lingering pain of the real-life tragedy that inspired the play. If you can, read it, see it, produce and/or perform it. And do check out Miller's remarkable play "Capacity," which I've also seen on stage.

    I saw this play in 2012, in Sonoma County. I still think of it from time to time. In this powerful, yet frequently funny examination of grief, regret and resilience, Miller's storytelling and smart dialogue provide juicy stuff for the actors to make a meal of, while remaining sensitive to the lingering pain of the real-life tragedy that inspired the play. If you can, read it, see it, produce and/or perform it. And do check out Miller's remarkable play "Capacity," which I've also seen on stage.

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  • David Templeton: My Zombie Valentine by Kate Danley
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    This laugh-out-loud, super-short charmer is incredibly funny, and even pointedly (and a bit wickedly) insightful. After reading it, I Googled the author to see if she’s ever written for Saturday Night Live. This is a perfectly punchy little Valentine’s Day gem.

    This laugh-out-loud, super-short charmer is incredibly funny, and even pointedly (and a bit wickedly) insightful. After reading it, I Googled the author to see if she’s ever written for Saturday Night Live. This is a perfectly punchy little Valentine’s Day gem.

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