Recommended by John Busser

09.28.24 - A meet-cute story from Philip Middleton Williams always has more going on under the surface than what you think it does. It's a tale of endings. We have Luke and Frank's ending, we have Frank (literally) ending years earlier, and Jared's debt collecting job ending in, what could be, just the right place for a new beginning of something. I love the fact that not only have some of Frank's ashes went to help the plant grow, but his debt just might make a new relationship grow. Terrific.

09.28.24 - I don't think I've ever had a short monologue invoke such an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia like this one did. As both a movie lover and former usher, I was brought right back into a darkened theater lit only by the magic on the screen, being moved by the experience. Scott Sickles paints such a vivid picture in this piece that not only do I want to get some fried chicken, but now I HAVE to find someone streaming The Tingler. No guilty pleasure this, it's a true winning play.

09.23.24 - As plays go, Morey Norkin manages to encompass the entire spectrum of human existence in just under a minute. You have the excitement of discovery, the fear of confinement, the hesitation of trusting, the determination of maintaining your independence and vomiting on the carpet. Yep, he’s covered it all. Thanks Morey!

09.22.24 - Well NOW I want to see Dwarves vs Predator. What a fun little piece (for the whole family) from Rachel Feeny-Williams. But then, you always get fun pieces from Rachel. This is a fairy tale with some modern sensibilities to it. There's laughs, heart and even a touch of Spielberg, even if it's only over the phone. A terrific addition for a night of holiday plays.

09.22.24 - Thanks to Lee lawing for this one, because I WANT TO BELIEVE, just like Bobby Joe does. And he supplies the perfect payoff to this tale of close encounters. We may not ever find out who burned the welcome center down, but it's Bobby Joe who gets an even warmer welcome from out there. Fun and as uplifting as an alien tractor beam.

09.22.24 - Now THAT's a Christmas miracle I can get behind. Just when I thought Lee Lawing was going to go all dark and Krampus-y, he turns it around and gives me the best present I could want. AND STILL KEPT IT LEE-LAWING-Y while he did it. I laughed out loud a number of times and would kill an elf or two to see this staged.

09.22.24 - My God, the storm INSIDE that house was in a lot of ways worse than the one outside. Will Cloud pulls no punches in this two-hander showing that family ties draw the reddest blood. Watching Jimmy fight Pete for his own good even as Pete steadfastly clings to both hate and memory was incredibly moving and frustrating at the same time. Jimmy is on a rapidly-diminishing countdown and I wasn't sure whether he would succeed. To tell you more wouldn't be fair. Experience this one yourself.

09.22.24 - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I knew it! That was the most inevitable, yet supremely appropriate takedown of beer snobs I've ever seen. The pretentious descriptions of their tastings alone ("The cardamom and clove are fucking each other in my mouth, and creating a white pepper lovechild.") had me wanting to pee in their glasses. Considering how funny this was, I had to pee anyhow. You go Billy, you magnificent Stella-drinking bastard.

09.22.24 - Wow, that escalated fast. James Binz doesn't mess around here. As I read I kept wondering how was Tori going to get out of this, and really, should she? And maybe this is morbid of me, but I wondered if each and every one of those murder weapons WAS going to be used. Not sure what that says about me. Darkly funny and just wild enough to make me think, "There's an episode of Jerry Springer here."

09.22.24 - Like watching Carl Denham himself sweet talk Ann Darrow into being the original second banana to the 8th wonder of the world, this play from James Binz hints at a less flattering side of movie making. There's more going on behind the glib fast talk all in service of giving the public what they want. Here the agent's job is ALSO on the line. Binz has fun here with these characters, but you realize that the Ape isn't the real monster of this piece.