Recommended by John Busser

As the wise philosophers The Blues Brothers told us, "Everybody needs somebody to love". Even an immortal fish god. And thanks to David Lipschutz and Dana Hall, we get to see it happen. An absolute gem of a short about love, death and sea bass. The combination of horror with a rom com is a great combination. Audiences will love this piece. My favorite line? "I went to Miskatonic U, go unnamables!" Priceless.

I wasn't sure where this was going but it wasn't where it went. How incredibly moving. I guarantee you'll probably tear up upon reading this. I will assume an audience will have more than it's fair share of sniffles on a performance night. Ryan Vaughan has crafted a quiet, yet powerful scene of grief and regret, but he tempers it with a revelation that gives a wounded father a sense that everything will be alright. The connection Ryan writes here is a heartfelt one, and if you could make any play about a shooting somehow uplifting, this is the way.

As satirical as Sam Heyman's monologue piece is, there is a horrifying hint of truth to it. Not only that there exists some theater out there that might actually contemplate instigating this policy, but that there are playwrights who might actually give in to this for that elusive production. It's ridiculous, scary and probably in our play writing future.

Having just listened to this on the Gather by the Ghost light podcast, I am sitting here stunned. Just an amazing production all around. The voice work, the sound design, it's all top notch. But the script itself is a winner from the get go. There are multiple motivations revealed here that give a deeper meaning to this interaction. Both characters have an inner need to see justice done. But there are other considerations of the law vs. justice at play here. There's so much to unpack here. And then, to leave it end the way it does is perfection.

WOW! What a clever concept for a murder mystery. One that, given the right circumstances, could possibly never end. This is wonderfully macabre and gruesome as hell (depending on the production that goes all in on this). It isn't often that horror plays are this original. Well done Cam Eickmeyer!

Oh My God! What a cliff hanger to end this on. Joe Swenson, you had me on the edge of my seat reading this. And what a concept. On the heels of one of mankind's greatest achievements comes one of it's greatest disasters. But instead of it being what you expect, problems with the flight home, the problem is much, much bigger and much, much closer to home. What a great trick is pulled off here. All the tension is created with incoming and outgoing messages. This is smart, clever and terrifying.

Joe Swenson writes a "meet-cute" play with a little bit of a sci-fi twist to it. It seems both of these characters have a "gift" that carries them through their interaction. And the audience benefits the most from this. With terrific dialogue and some delightful call backs to earlier points in the script, this is a wonderful romantic story that begs an expansion. Where can this go? I'd like to find out.

I loved the surprise of this monologue. And this particular speaker is a bit prickly about that "B" word. I can't blame him. He's absolutely right. This would be a great palate cleanser in a night of spooky plays. It's light-hearted, very relatable, and has a great payoff.

Wow. Quite a finish. I was completely won over by Sam Cocco's handling of these two damaged individuals. They were both fascinating characters on the surface, but as the play unfolds, we learn more and more about what brought them to this place. Then the rug is yanked out and we learn the real connection. This was terrific writing and I'd love to see this in front of an audience.

The anger and revulsion in these words are enough to give anyone pause. Have I wronged someone like this? Am I part of the collective shit this women has had to swallow throughout her life? Have I, whether purposefully or accidentally, lit the fuse on this character's explosive rage? I sincerely hope not. Samantha Cocco gives the audience plenty to contemplate, and if they are left uneasy by their realizations after seeing this, then she has done us all a service. We SHOULD be thinking how our actions are forced upon others. Harshly beautiful food for thought.