Recommended by John Busser

D Lee Miller certainly captures the voices of the two sisters arguing over a dress at a time when society was redefining it's mores in this delightful little slice of life play. I loved the interjection of the waitress character as well to spice things up a little. The dialogue is reminiscent of the old comedies of the 30's in parts, but there's more substance underlying the text which gives this play its heart.

Oof! This one hit some bleak places. I really liked it! I don't necessarily get pulled to dark stories but this one intrigued me from the get-go. Death by Menu choice is inspired and I loved the dilemma that Chris faces being told to choose not only the method of death (and really, who among us COULD make that choice) but the time as well - instantly versus a drawn out illness is no kind of choice. I think this could provide a very thought provoking production.

We DO see what we WANT to see, don't we? That's the idea I got from this lovely play from DC Cathro. A widow still struggling with not only the loss of her husband, but her son's sexuality is trying to make sense of her world in the only way she knows how, by attributing a random chance occurrence with a rare bird as a sign from Heaven. Her son bursts that bubble but then goes on to provide comfort to her in a way that, in a way, soothes her worries and strengthens their bond. Positively uplifting.

Like a mini time capsule of 2020, the big picture of what was going on is background to what Emily McClain wants us to focus on, the budding relationship between a delivery man and a young woman customer. The connection between them builds over the course of the play in a very realistic yet hopeful manner culminating in a porch stoop dinner for two as masks come down and expectations come up. It's really lovely.

Part confession, part interview, Head Spin will make the audience's do just that. Seeing a women who the public thinks has it all, lay bare her actual experience and the traumas that paid for her rise to fame, is sobering to watch. There's always a price to pay, and Amelia has more than done so. That she wants to make sure others don't have to is both noble and sad. This is a powerful play about the seedy aspect of success.

Here's my expert review... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Oh yes, also, HAHAHAHAHA.

Although couched in flim-flam, the fortune teller character from Kevin King's entertaining monologue actually says some brighter-than-you-might-think things to the audience, and thus, comes across as a more entertaining character than at first glance. A little bit of truth makes any chicanery seem authentic, and this comes across here in spades. A great little role for any actor.

Wow, that escalated quickly, but oh so realistically. Cindi Sansone-Braff perfectly hits the mark with this one-sided conversation with two people. Watching the meltdown of the character IMATNT as they can't understand the apparent ghosting by IMA2T2T was fascinating, if a little unsettling. This sort of interaction plays out all the time in real life, and not usually in as entertaining a fashion. I think it interesting that the writer notes this can be played out multiple times on the same night with unusual pairings. It might be fun to see the dynamics change with the actors.

Jack Levine picked the perfect genre for a radio play, the Western. Tough talkin' gunfighters vying for the love of a good woman always makes for a fun story. But the radio element can add a special ingredient to the mix as listeners will set their own stage for the conflict. And a sound designer can have a blast coming up with Old West aural flourishes to add to the story. A harmonica here, a horse whinny there, a gunshot or two. And the small meta touches add their own charm as well. Nicely done, Jack.

Would that all holiday movie characters got the kick in the pants that Vivian Lermond's Goonsville folks do. A refreshingly twisted take on sappy, overly sentimental fare. It'll never play on the Hallmark Channel but that's okay. This belongs on the stage.