Recommended by John Busser

My God! This was alarmingly intense! The scenes progress in more and more provocative ways and yet, our characters seem to take more and more of it in stride. Which is heart-breaking. The society we live in doesn't care about these children. They are just bodies to have "thoughts and prayers" over after each tragedy. Jillian Blevins puts such vivid faces to these kids. It's masterful the way she elevates their needs and wants as they age through the horror of lockdown drills. This play should be produced and shown ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY.

I was moved at this touching portrait of a woman who so desperately wants to cling to someone she can no longer have, even as she tells her daughter how much she wants to separate from that someone, even to the point of pursuing the goal after a death. Mom may have memory issues that her daughter has to contend with, but her struggles to both love and hate her late husband show there's still a lot going on in her mind. This is complex character work and wonderful writing.

The biggest compliment I can give this play is that I'm so friggin' envious I didn't think of it first. Damn you Plumridge and your hilarious monologue. This would be an actors dream monologue. The biggest name on the planet and you'd have the stage all to yourself to say these wonderful lines. I'd pay thirty pieces of silver to see this play staged.

I had the extreme pleasure to play the Old Timer in a reading of this play and let me tell you, Stuart Hoffman knows how to set you up for a dark, funny time and then pull the rug out from under you. This was deliciously spooky (c'mon, that title alone should set off your Spider-Senses) and a blast to do. I'd like nothing better than to serve this pie to an appreciative audience. Give it a try.

Sometimes it’s a slice of life piece like this one that is so satisfying to read. The satisfaction comes from its simplicity. Just 2 old men discussing the things that now matter to them. We all do this. As our lives reach nearer the end, we start to realize the truly important things to hold on to. This is so relatable, and Marj Captueres their voices so authentically, I’d think I was talking to my own father or uncles. This is, as the author states, a gentle comedy, but it’s one that says some profound truths.

Wonderfully nostalgic and full of heart, this memory play by Bruce Karp never takes a false step. The voices of the characters feel authentic and I can't see anyone watching this play not reminiscing about their own childhood transitions into adulthood and the implications of. You don't need to be Jewish either. The feelings of concern, familial connection and friendships made and kept are universal, so all audience members can relate to the situation here. And in the end, we're shown that some connections are more universal than we thought.

Lee Lawing gives us dark humor, a fear of aging, a bigger fear of being left behind, and ultimately, heartbreak. Oh, and Daylight Savings Time rears it's ugly head. There's a lot going on here, but Lee keeps it simple in execution. And it brings to light some harsh truths, the most inevitable being, no matter how much you work to avoid it, everybody moves on (whether by age or relationship) it's the one path we all walk. Funny, sad and thoughtful.

Shades of Ray Cooney, this was a fun little farce. Rachel Feeny-Williams keeps all the plates spinning as she dives into the sexual politics of sex and politics. Funny and fast, it makes politicians seems somewhat human, instead of the bull-headed nincompoops we see in real life. This was a good, old-fashioned sex farce (and in only 13 pages) for the ADHD crowd.

In a truly just world, this play would have a Broadway debut. (Fight me on it)
But it's NOT a just world.

It IS one, however, where we're lucky enough to have the completely warped mind of Scott Sickles (who worked himself into his own play, don't think I didn't notice!) doing his Sickles thing and making the audience laugh their asses off. As here, where there's plenty of metaphysical shenanigans to entertain you. Taking one of Hollywood's finest cheesy movies and forming a brand new play merely by showing us what we SHOULD be using our opposable thumbs for.

Oh Man, I LOVED this piece by Miranda Jonte. It felt so authentic in how dogs might process the information of getting through their days. It was just (and I'm making up a phrase here) "attention-spanless". The characters jump from topic to topic like dogs probably would, but it's coherent enough for us mere humans to follow. This play was a treat.