Recommended by John Busser

This is dark, funny as hell, and satire done right. We really don't always know where our donations are going, do we? Well Greg Mandryk may have just provided the perfect answer. And the punchline is to die for. As long as you're not a puppy...

I have had the privilege of seeing the first reading of this play, the first few productions of this play and I have to say, THIS is my favorite Greg Mandryk piece. It does creepy right, giving out just enough info to be unsettling, never holding your hand in the dark, but completely guiding you to the bitter end. The horror of it is never explained, which makes it all the more disturbing. I LOVE this piece.

I am so used to Morey Norkin's more comedic side, that I was not prepared for this lovely gentle folk tale brought to vivid life here. I think this would be a theater's dream play to try to create such beautiful imagery. And even those theaters with small budgets could showcase their creative side in portraying villages, undersea kingdoms, the ocean, a talking turtle and more. Lots of plays are described as "magical" but this is one of the few that I feel lives up to that description.

I honestly felt MY pulse racing while reading this. Deb Cole perfectly captured the thrill of the unknown along with the fear that SMART people should rightly feel when making this kind of a leap. She also showed Christopher's narcissism for the joke that it was. I'd never heard the statistic that prompted this play before and I think it's fascinating. This fun little romp would be great for any play festival.

Rich with detail and so very evocative in setting the scene, this is a wonderfully written monologue by Nora Louise Syran. The POV here is telling. The person describing the absolute ruin and squalor here from the perspective of the outsider's privilege makes you ponder just how so many born to that locale survive such hardship. The humanity on display, or lack thereof in some instances tell so much in just a few pages. Would love to see this performed.

A review so nice, I had to write it twice. I put this on Morey's page too.

Oh these clever bastards... Morey Norkin and Chris Plumridge (what phony sounding aliases these sound like. I mean, c'mon... Morey? Plumridge? They sound as phony as a three dollar bill) have teamed up on a truly devious play about detectives detecting, mysteries mystifying and X marks the spot where you'll be laughing as much as I did. And ALL the musical references. I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning. (See, they got me doing it now...)

Oh these clever bastards... Morey Norkin and Chris Plumridge (what phony sounding aliases these sound like. I mean, c'mon... Morey? Plumridge? They sound as phony as a three dollar bill) have teamed up on a truly devious play about detectives detecting, mysteries mystifying and X marks the spot where you'll be laughing as much as I did. And ALL the musical references. I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning. (See, they got me doing it now...)

This play is all about atmosphere and Chris Plumridge gives it to us in droves. The tense situation is made more so by creating this as an audio play. It lets the imagination run wild with possibilities as we can't truly know the extent of what is awaiting Y. Effectively creepy and thrilling just to read, I would think HEARING it would be terrifying. Really enjoyed this.

Almost noirish in style, Surprise! by Deb Cole starts us down one road, upends it and then slowly twists the knife. Only it ends up being the wrong person to get it in the back. They have their own ideas about being faithful and we get to see them play out. The dialogue is quick and the characters are perfectly unveiled. A great little piece.

We may all know the Muffin man, but have you met his daughter? You will now. Allie Costa has written a fun little play about family connection and cinnamon rolls, and both are on display here. I'm not sure whether I have a warm feeling in my heart for the story, or a hungry feeling in my stomach for all the pastry. Either way, this is sweet.