Recommended by John Busser

11.21.24 - Now that was a fun piece of Frankensteinian(?) comic horror by Maryellen DiVivo. I'm a sucker for this type of humor, mixing comedy with some Tales From the Crypt style comeuppance for a demented doctor with boobs and resurrection on his mind. And the 3 women who decide to embrace their situation means there is a possibility we might see a return to this Victorian town to see who else deserves some spectral shenanigans. A hoot.

11.18.24 - I love the absolute ludicrousness of this fever dream of a play by James Binz. Coming back from anesthesia has never been weirder, as Vernon has a few, shall we say, close encounters, with a nurse(s?) who's identity keeps changing for the stranger. Any actress lucky enough to get this play in her sights (cough cough-Jacquie Floyd-cough cough) would knock this out of the park. This is just a romp from the get go, and I'd love to see this staged.

11.18.24 - Our experiences, good or bad, shape us into what we currently are. John's horrific one has left him a man unable to move. Then, almost like Scrooge, he is visited by three people who help to propel him forward. His ex-wife is his past, a bit of divine intervention of his late daughter as she would be today, and finally, Sophia, a young woman who just may help pull him into a better future. Brent Alles has written a weighty piece about overcoming grief. It's beautifully realized.

11.17.24 - Ah, social media discourse, what would we do without you? Jonny Bolduc gives us a possible road to travel. And we all know what THAT road to Hell is paved with. In this case, it's people who believe what they want despite any factual evidence to the contrary. This is wonderfully zany satire that, if you've actually lived in our society the past 25 years or so is highly relatable. There should be a special circle of Hell reserved for TikTokkers, influencers and ANYONE who lives online.

11.17.24 - As an avid puzzler myself, this one hit home hard. This was sweetly fun, watching these three elderly folks try to out do one another and having their own difficulties in doing so. This kind of script is an actors dream, as the characters are so loaded with potential. There's the dialogue, the physicality and the characteristics of each to play with. I like Toby Malone has specified that these elderly puzzlers should be played by high schoolers in order to enhance the physical antics.

11.17.24 - This interesting two hander has all the elements of a juicy sordid affair, then throw you a curve at the end. Still sordid, but not the way you might think. Or at least the way NICK might think. Chris Plumridge may expand this piece. I say, he should. I'd love to see where this goes (as I'm sure Nick would. Come to think of it, I think Lisa would ALSO like to see where this goes) Even if Nick doesn't.

11.17.24 - Now THAT was eerily fun. I was not expecting the character shift that took place and frankly, I loved it! Leave it to Matthew Weaver to put an unconventional spin on gothic horror, and do it in a way that is much more monstrous. And not just because of the figure in the shadows either. Victoria may actually be the more terrifying character here. And I'd love to be in the audience when a particular sound effect happens, just to watch the bewilderment turn to amusement. Great fun!

11.17.24 - Every once in a while, a premise comes along that is so far out of left field, it begs to be looked at. This charmer from Rex McGregor is such a play. It isn't all that outrageous or experimental in nature, but the idea itself it one I never would have thought of. That in itself merits some attention. Eli, Angelica (and even Pixie) are characters I want to know, and the dialogue here is both fun and even telling about our need to embrace the wild side once in a while. Jump right in.

11.16.24 - I guess the moral of this funny piece from Darrin Friedman is "You can't teach an old frog new licks." Or something like that. When we have a population who aren't too keen on anybody setting them straight, you end up with frog-lickers, Barry Manilow dressers and (my favorite) sledneck bastards all over the place.I'd love to see this piece up on it's feet, provided it's knees aren't hurting, that is. Hilarious from start to finish.

11.16.24 - An all-too-real look at how some men see themselves as the savior of their way of life, this "Father of the Year" monologue is an eye-opener even as it makes us wince. At least I winced. Your mileage may vary, as we truly are a divided nation these days. Asher Wyndham always has his finger on the pulse of people from ALL walks with his spectacular range of viewpoints in his monologues. You may not agree with a character's view, but there's no denying the power their words can have.