Recommended by John Busser

Whether on stage or on film, the prospect of being physically intimate in front of other people is one of the most frightening things a person can endure. You don't want to look, act, smell or taste bad to your partner, let alone an audience who, let's face it, are going to be as critical as if they were going over the Zapruder film.

Scott Sickles deftly shows us in a gentle comedic way, the dance we do when we're about to do that thing we do called "doing it". And it's done with style and a light touch. Bravo.

I love the fact that, just like real people do, the conversation here about upset stomachs and overindulging on booze is not really what these two are conversing about. We all hide our intentions at times, and this is both clear (to us) and unclear (to them). Debbie Lamedman captures the tone of such conversations perfectly, making the ordinary into something a little EXTRA-ordinary. Terrific writing.

A reminder that while we all make the journey, it's a lot better with a traveling companion. Robin Rice has written a lovely short play that would be perfect for two older actresses. It gives them characters with heart, brains, gumption and most important, a sense of connection. Terrific writing.

An amazing concept followed by a heart-breaking tragedy. Jonathan Cook has written a terrific drama crossed with a sci-fi (?), horror, (?) absurd (?) twist I didn't see coming. But as it unfolded, I bought into it completely. I loved the ending too. There's more to this story.

A laugh out loud funny look at the insecurities of being an actor. Anyone who has ever trod the stage will howl in recognition at some of Larry Rinkel's observations here as he tackles late audience members, late starting times, audition woes, performance issues and all the other aggravating things that actors deal with if only for that endorphin rush that comes from the applause of the crowd. Spot on and hilarious, this is well worth even a late start time to see.

How could I NOT want to know the answer asked by Randy Hunt in this terrific little dark comedy? A bad break up prompts the creation of the aforementioned box, and I was on the edge of my seat as I read and tried predicting just what WAS in the box. The answer is both just that, an answer AND the setup for... well, the fun is not in me telling you. Read this to find out. Better yet, produce this, so an audience can try to guess.

Jack Levine lets his absurd flag fly in this terrifically silly play about writer's block and the creative ways we deal with it. Levine's Jack, a writer having a hard time getting his creative juices flowing, tries mightily to prime the pump with the help of a talking horse and a monkey who's a whiz at puppetry. Sound weird enough for you? I assure you, it's as goofy as it sounds, and it works like a charm. Great fun.

Oh man! I loved this piece by Morey Norkin. It hits all the right targets for me. It's laugh out loud funny! It's poignant. It's about family. There are great old jokes, new jokes, clever jokes, corny jokes. It's got it all. And the characters are so perfectly drawn here. They feel like real people. I highly recommend someone staging this. I'd go see it. Can't get a better endorsement than that...

A heartbreaking exchange where the fireworks in question are fired from the characters themselves. Big changes are coming for Tony, and now Gabe offers him a connection that is more than just friendship. Tony is being pulled in multiple directions and the play makes us wonder which way he'll ultimately go. The dialogue is pitch perfect and the stakes are more important by play's end. A wonderful piece.

Any port in a storm (or in this case, any laundry room) as the characters in Hannah Lee DeFrates short, darkly comic horror play shows. Being trapped with a fellow plague doctor, Caraway is thrown in with Meadowlark seemingly to live out a prisoner's nightmare. But the two decide to escape their own way, through their imaginations. At least until the next load is done. There's wit, heartache and even a baby of sorts. Would love to see an audience reaction to this.