Recommended by John Busser

"So now I'm suffocating you?" may be the funniest line I've read all day. What a sweet romantic comedy Ken has written here. A woman who couldn't bear to be apart from her partner takes it upon herself to stow aboard a NASA rocket to be with her. Now THAT'S dedication! And bringing all the "right stuff" too. Starburst, Milky Ways Orbit Gum (I hope some Mars bars too). And the cat. With a cat on board, I think the sequel to this should deal with any other alien stowaways...

There is poetry in Dave Patton's look at Death's embrace that gives you pause to think. What's worse, a quick, sudden end which takes everyone by surprise, allowing no tearful goodbye, no chance to make amends or express feelings lone unspoken? Or is the quiet deterioration, which happens here, infinitely worse, watching someone young and vital drift away while you stand aware and yet powerless to prevent? I was taken by the language used, evocative and insightful. This universal experience was shown to me in a new way, and it makes me appreciate what my life is even more now.

Like going down a dark tunnel and seeing no light at the end of it, the Laura in this play is doomed and has accepted it. Her line about "But it is my reality and it would be really dangerous for me not to live in it." was heart-breaking. I'm livid that people like her husband exist but impressed at Donnelly's ability to manifest him so clearly in one phone exchange. This is powerful stuff and should be seen.

There's an honesty here that portrays the participants as real people and not idealized avatars for the audience. I think they would prefer this, real people who have flaws and reactions that show their insecurities. As we get older our sense of self worth can take a daily beating, and though well-intentioned, the reaction of loved ones can sometimes exacerbate the issue. It's not fair and it's not anyone's fault, but it is truly human to react badly to it. Luckily, Paul Donnelly lets some light in at the end and gives us a warm resolution to the play.

I don't know why, but I think the thing I love most here is the fact that Kellogg's sponsored a civilian trip to the moon (maybe it's the hard "K" sound, a staple of good comedy!) This is the kind of play that puts a goofy grin on your face for the duration of it. I certainly was smiling while reading it. It's fanciful, imaginative, and whimsical. And that last line made my laugh out loud. This is a winner.

I think my favorite line from Jacquie Floyd's hilarious Love Shackles is "...we watched “Con Air” and ate cold pizza on Valentine’s Day." (Of course, I took my current girlfriend to "The Expendables" on our first date, so what do I know?) Jacquie never disappoints with her engaging characters and here we find a desperate Mark, caught cheating and cuffed to a chair by his much smarter and rightfully vengeful Rose, as she toys with him. This Rose has some thorns, and Mark is the one getting pricked. Great stuff.

I love the circular logic and whip-smart dialogue in this comic satire. It PERFECTLY encapsulates the angst of modern day social interaction and our desire to be both involved and distanced from other people. Matthew Moore has hit on something here though. It's not just jokes for jokes sake. This play has a point to make, and it makes it well. The lines are almost 30's screwball-comedy in tone and delivery which endears it even more. I would love to see this staged.

A few particular lines in this play really stuck out to me. Amelia tells the audience "You’re fixated on that day I disappeared over the Pacific. One day! I prefer to focus on my 14,578 days before that." And that's so true. We are more than just one moment. And as Arianna Rose shows us, even in death, Amelia (and Eleanor) prefer to go on living and having new experiences. A moment can define us, but we don't have to stop looking for other moments. I REALLY liked this play.

I thought I knew where this was going and I absolutely did not. Once the truth was revealed, the relationship between the two characters reached in and connected in a way that they seemed to before, but proved to be superficial. The deeper connection happened because the truth came out. As it should. This is a wonderful play showing how our surface interactions may be polite and nice, but true connection takes a deep dive into sometimes troubling waters. And it's worth it, every time. Terrific stuff.

What great roles for older actresses! They'll have a field day with Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn's short play dealing with a trio of gossipy senior citizens awaiting a fourth and having a grand old time dishing the dirt and good friends often do. The barbs fly fast, the dialogue zings along and the addition of the hard-of-hearing Earl comes into play at just the right moments. Normally, Jacquie's work is peppered in the fantastical, but here, this very down-to-earth interaction is just... fantastic.