Recommended by John Busser

You know, some people say knowing how a magician does his tricks ruins the illusion. I say, I want to know so I can appreciate the skill involved even more. And that's was Christopher Soucy has given us here. A peek behind the curtain, so to speak. And it works amazingly well. The fun piece tells us all we need to know about the Big Man at Xmas time, but does it in. a way that preserves the idea behind the magic. A perfect stocking stuffer.

This'll wake the audience right the fuck up, that's for sure. By placing the action right in the middle of the audience, Emma Goldman-Sherman ensures that they won't be able to look away or into their programs. And maybe that's exactly what's needed here. All too often, the audience gets to choose what they want to see and ignore the uglier side of life. But interestingly enough, we have become such voyeurs in real life, that you know everyone will be riveted on the interaction here. And are they about to get an eyeful.

A sweet little confection of a play about bringing the magic of Christmas to both a department store Santa, and a little boy needing a friend. And how much more Christmas-y can you get than taking place in a mall? A search for clues in the form of a scavenger hunt will keep the audience engaged as well. Just the right thing to liven up any short play collection. And that ending just might make you shed a tear.

A "normal" work day is anything but (no pun intended) for sex worker Cleo as she takes on an increasingly comic number of clients. Comic for the audience, that is. With brutally honest, yes sympathetic talk, Cleo helps a customer through marital discord, a woman finding out about a certain Katy Perry song, and the most awkward family gathering of all time. Chris Plumridge's characters feel very real in their search for sexual connection with all its pitfalls and ill-timed body movements. Absolutely worth your time to read, and I'll bet it would be hilarious to stage. Terrific.

Like something Hitchcock might do after a little too much cough syrup, Marigold is an hilarious comedy of errors and mistaken identity. I first heard this on Jonathan Cook's Gather by the Ghost Light radio podcast (which you should definitely add to your podcast listening right now) and just went back and reread as it is a genre I enjoy, the spy thriller. Better yet, a COMEDIC spy thriller. This would be wonderful to see staged.

Sometimes, all you need is someone in your corner to feel like you're not completely up against the wall. Marj O'Neill-Butler has written an uplifting short piece that gives us that someone in the title character. In these dark times where so many people are dividing faster than a grade school math class, a sweet, positive tale like this is just what we need. Thank you Marj.

Auditions are tough enough when you don't know who's reading for what. But when all three characters find they are reading for the same role, both the cat claws and the insecurities come out. Jacquie writes very natural sounding dialogue with gentle humor (none of the characters are outright mean, although they do pull a few disparaging comments out for the occasion) and it's nice to see them both try to discourage the others while providing support for each other when needed. And then there's that ending. I love the dig she takes at someone you'll probably know. Fun stuff.

So many people will relate to this monologue, not because of the subject matter, but because of the speaker themself. Jaye expresses the thoughts that many of us harbor in our darkest times. I don't necessarily mean suicide. I can't remember ever falling so low as to think it a viable course of action. But I've certainly questioned (and harshly too) my own self worth as a human being. Jacquie Floyd gives us an all too human character that even feels unworthy to commit the worst sin of all because of the inconvenience. Powerful and deeply moving .

What an intriguing premise! I was flying through this short piece by Jacquie Floyd trying to figure out where it was going before the writer revealed it. And it was a much better resolution than I could come up with in my dreams. Which is so appropriate for this material. It's got the humor Jacquie is known for, but there is some real substance underlying the surreal setup. I would love to see this staged and I think it would be a real treat for an audience.

The title alone hooked me in, but the subject matter is what kept me. Whether you're a man or woman, everyone wants to stay relevant, and Brenda in this play is no different. There are laughs a'plenty here, but enough serious dialogue to drive home some important points about what you want, versus what you THINK you want. Bruce Karp is a much smarter writer than to JUST go for laughs (although there ARE a lot of them), and there's some depth and pathos to this piece that make it a winner.