Recommended by John Busser

I know some people like to kill the arts programs, but this is ridiculous. Which may be the point in Jack McCleland's absurdly dark (and well named) play about taking this philosophy to dangerous lengths. And here's the most insidious part. The enemy uses one of our own against us. It's devilishly fiendish and yet, so perfect. A twisted, comic nightmare that I'd love to see performed.

I'm a sucker for detective stories and this one does not disappoint. With equal nods to Holmes, Poirot and Miss Marple (even Batman gets a mention, as does a certain Detective Pi - don't think I didn't notice), there's murder afoot here and Rachel's Detective Jane Pierot and trusty but lax assistant Sandra are on the case. This is good old-fashioned fun for the stage, and I hope someone produces this terrific comic mystery. Even the twist is one I didn't see coming. Expect the unexpected with a Rachel Feeny-Williams play.

Opposites make for strange bedfellows, don't they? Richard Weill gives us an unlikely pair of characters at odds with each other, and strangely enough, they harmonize perfectly. At least to the comedy club owner. While we get to see a painfully unfunny comic, he sees comic gold due to the mixture of a heckler. A comedy that is both unfunny (intended) and hilarious (also intended) at the same time.

I literally spat out "Oh God!" on the last line of this 1 minute play. There is a LOT going on in this play despite there only being 5 sentences spoken. A lifetime of experience, happiness, sorrow, joy, sadness, it's all there if you know how to see it. We learn just as much from what they don't say. Neil Radtke knows how to tell a full story in less than a page. Gut-wrenching.

This is the kind of play that makes me happy I can write but sad that I didn't write THIS play. With perfectly realized terrible characters, amazingly awful motivations, deliciously stupid exposition and more, Neil Radtke has vomited up a brilliant send-up of all of playwriting's worst tendencies, but without any of the dry heaves. And he does it in such a charming way, you can't help but be entertained. I laughed out loud numerous times during this. Well done, sir.

It's never an easy transition from the (now) obsolete to the (next) innovation. As the reporter in Deb Cole's cautionary tale finds out, the train you see coming from a mile off will still run you down if you don't switch tracks. Monalis-AI is a fascinating character. Although it purports to be emotionless, you can't help but wonder what prompts it's remark that set the reporters nerves on edge. Was there something innocent there or somewhat sinister? The audience is left to ponder this, which only makes Deb's work resonate that much more.

Rachel Feeny-Williams knows how to get your pulse racing, doesn't she? A monologue is usually told standing still, but here, Rachel shows us a woman walking in fear, not of her own life, but that of a loved one in surgery. You almost feel as exhausted as Amelia is as you live the experience of that waiting with her. This dialogue crackles with anxiety and I defy you not to get invested with her plight, a feeling of helplessness mixed with the need to do SOMETHING. Not an easy walk to be sure, but one you'll be glad you took.

I was happily surprised to see John Mabey's alien being, BX19TR33, have a loving attitude towards Earthlings. So often extraterrestrials want nothing more than our blood, our resources or our women. Who'd have thought they would be interested in our holidays too? And Halloween? That's just (chef's kiss) thinking right there. How better to get into the Halloween spirit, than by dressing up as an ordinary Earth slob. This was touching, heartfelt and not surprising in the least (and I mean that in a good way) that it came from one of the most positive playwrights I know.

Although his behavior is abhorrent, I have to hand it to Paul Donnelly's Brett. He knows what he wants out of the dating scene and even manages to get dessert out of it. A very funny, cringe comedy right out of Curb Your Enthusiasm, this play makes us watch as Angie bristles over Brett's boorishness. And she'll do anything to get out of it, even as the audience will do anything to stay with this laugh fest. Comedy gold.

I recently experienced an audio recording of this play on the Theatrical Shenanigans podcast, and it was terrific. When 2 sisters learn of a third through a DNA test, the revelations bring both joy and pain. But Deb Cole's characters manage to work through both and forge a new path for the three. I like that there are 2 sisters with opposing viewpoints to their discovery while the third plays a cautious middle ground. Nothing is black and white here. And the grays are much more interesting to watch.