Recommended by John Busser

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    06.18.26 - I missed this charmer at the Valdez Theatre Conference recently, but luckily, I caught a video of it while I read the script alongside it. Needless to say, this was quite a catch for the audience. Rand Higbee gives us a "Rashomon"-style series of interviews concerning an infamous World Series catch and whether it played out according to history. Details may differ, but not your enjoyment of this play. The characters and the playwright have hit a home run. Catch it if you can.

    06.18.26 - I missed this charmer at the Valdez Theatre Conference recently, but luckily, I caught a video of it while I read the script alongside it. Needless to say, this was quite a catch for the audience. Rand Higbee gives us a "Rashomon"-style series of interviews concerning an infamous World Series catch and whether it played out according to history. Details may differ, but not your enjoyment of this play. The characters and the playwright have hit a home run. Catch it if you can.

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    06.17.26 - Just when you think your beloved pet has your back (wait, what am I saying, we’re talking about cats here) BZ Florida shines a spotlight on the slippery slope trusting them can be. Then again, when you work for The Company That Murders Children, maybe you got it coming from our feline friends. Funky and funny as hell.

    06.17.26 - Just when you think your beloved pet has your back (wait, what am I saying, we’re talking about cats here) BZ Florida shines a spotlight on the slippery slope trusting them can be. Then again, when you work for The Company That Murders Children, maybe you got it coming from our feline friends. Funky and funny as hell.

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    06.17.26 - As society continues to fracture along party lines, families find it increasingly harder to stay together. Mary Sheppard-Fries excels at writing stories of families facing this struggle. Her characters are simply drawn yet are far from simple themselves. Here, the parents of a trans child fear for not only his safety but also the backlash from a family member embracing the mindset of ostracizing the "different". But a past encounter provides a light in the darkness, giving us hope.

    06.17.26 - As society continues to fracture along party lines, families find it increasingly harder to stay together. Mary Sheppard-Fries excels at writing stories of families facing this struggle. Her characters are simply drawn yet are far from simple themselves. Here, the parents of a trans child fear for not only his safety but also the backlash from a family member embracing the mindset of ostracizing the "different". But a past encounter provides a light in the darkness, giving us hope.

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    06.17.25 - The word "zany" comes to mind here, as David Adam Gill gives us a family drama with cat-tossing, gee-whizzing and will-codicilling (yes, I just made up that word). The audience at the Valdez Theatre Conference got to watch the fun unfold with a reading that killed. This over-the-top 30's style has dialogue that snap, crackles and pops off the page, soap-opera family intrigue and a stuffed cat treated as the real deal. GIll's play absolutely delights.

    06.17.25 - The word "zany" comes to mind here, as David Adam Gill gives us a family drama with cat-tossing, gee-whizzing and will-codicilling (yes, I just made up that word). The audience at the Valdez Theatre Conference got to watch the fun unfold with a reading that killed. This over-the-top 30's style has dialogue that snap, crackles and pops off the page, soap-opera family intrigue and a stuffed cat treated as the real deal. GIll's play absolutely delights.

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    05.30.26 - In just one minute we get the complete picture of what's going on and it's perfect. This starts out like any mob stalking any innocent person, but no, we get so much more than that. The last line turns things up to 11. Loved it.

    05.30.26 - In just one minute we get the complete picture of what's going on and it's perfect. This starts out like any mob stalking any innocent person, but no, we get so much more than that. The last line turns things up to 11. Loved it.

  • John Busser: The Country Squire by Philip Middleton Williams
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    05.28.26 - An examination of family ties through the class prism, Philip Middleton Williams' play gives us a group of characters pushing and pulling each other to get their piece of the pie. Characters are well-rounded and three-dimensional. No one is a flat protagonist or antagonist. Williams is skilled at keeping them sounding and acting like actual people, not fictionalized avatars. This was moving and a piece that I think will stay with you.

    05.28.26 - An examination of family ties through the class prism, Philip Middleton Williams' play gives us a group of characters pushing and pulling each other to get their piece of the pie. Characters are well-rounded and three-dimensional. No one is a flat protagonist or antagonist. Williams is skilled at keeping them sounding and acting like actual people, not fictionalized avatars. This was moving and a piece that I think will stay with you.

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  • John Busser: FREEZE by Steven G. Martin
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    0508.26 - I was blown away (and luckily, Patrick and Asher were not - don't worry, it makes sense when you read it) by where this short piece went. Having a moment in time, for one set of characters, a fork in the road to be traveled, for the other, a look back at where that travel led to, was an amazing point to focus on. Steve Martin captures this contradiction (via a horrifying transition) that nonetheless, showcases the humanity of all the characters. I loved this piece.

    0508.26 - I was blown away (and luckily, Patrick and Asher were not - don't worry, it makes sense when you read it) by where this short piece went. Having a moment in time, for one set of characters, a fork in the road to be traveled, for the other, a look back at where that travel led to, was an amazing point to focus on. Steve Martin captures this contradiction (via a horrifying transition) that nonetheless, showcases the humanity of all the characters. I loved this piece.

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  • John Busser: It's a New Scene by Rachel Zake
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    05.08.26 - A fascinating study in character from Rachel Zake. We watch as a man attempts to prepare for a hearing with a client? Patient? who seems completely disconnected from the events that brought her here. Is he her doctor? Her lawyer? Whatever function he serves, we watch his dealings with this woman who has done something we find out late in the play are truly horrendous. And she may never realize it.

    05.08.26 - A fascinating study in character from Rachel Zake. We watch as a man attempts to prepare for a hearing with a client? Patient? who seems completely disconnected from the events that brought her here. Is he her doctor? Her lawyer? Whatever function he serves, we watch his dealings with this woman who has done something we find out late in the play are truly horrendous. And she may never realize it.

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  • John Busser: Your Love Makes Me Sick by Rachel Zake
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    05.08.26 - I love when characters are having 2 different conversations in the same interaction and we get to see the hilarity that ensues when neither one backs down from it. Rachel Zake is terrific at showing this relationship awkwardness, and if Henry isn't careful, he's going to get a face full of Bri's response to his proposal, but not the one he's hoping for. This was a hoot and a half to read and would love to see it produced.

    05.08.26 - I love when characters are having 2 different conversations in the same interaction and we get to see the hilarity that ensues when neither one backs down from it. Rachel Zake is terrific at showing this relationship awkwardness, and if Henry isn't careful, he's going to get a face full of Bri's response to his proposal, but not the one he's hoping for. This was a hoot and a half to read and would love to see it produced.

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  • John Busser: The Well-Intentioned Reuben by Darrin Friedman
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    05.08.26 - Plays like this are all about the journey the character takes. Simon is on a journey of discovery, even if he can't see the trail he's on. All he sees is stagnation. But those things provide the footing for the path he's on, and once he sees that, he'll be able to make progress. Darrin Friedman is clever in his writing here, making the audience privy to Simon's pain, and letting them travel alongside, providing their unspoken support as they wish for him to finally move forward.

    05.08.26 - Plays like this are all about the journey the character takes. Simon is on a journey of discovery, even if he can't see the trail he's on. All he sees is stagnation. But those things provide the footing for the path he's on, and once he sees that, he'll be able to make progress. Darrin Friedman is clever in his writing here, making the audience privy to Simon's pain, and letting them travel alongside, providing their unspoken support as they wish for him to finally move forward.

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