Recommended by John Busser

Ijit better be on the lookout for a new manservant job, cuz I think Pat is made for bigger things. And he isn't even the one being made in this delightful comedy of horrors by Christopher Soucy. This is a meet-cute for the Universal Studios Monsters era, where a mad scientist gets some great advice on life, death and where to conduct your "business". There are jokes, puns and laugh lines galore here. A perfect addition to any Halloween-themed short play festival.

Well THAT was sweet as all get out. CHarles Scott jones gives us probably the most unusual pairing I've yet seen in a play; a polar bear and a blue-tailed skink (sans tail for extra uniqueness). These unlikely friends soon become fast ones, as they trade jokes, tease each other, and basically become attached. The concept is charming, the costumes would be fun to imagine and the the sweet nature of these 2 will give any audience all the feels.

A monologue celebrating uniqueness is not all that rare. But Orange lobsters are. And combining the 2 makes for something you aren't bound to find on ANY menu. Lee Lawing has a knack for coming up with bizarre takes on things you absolutely wish you could see more of. As long as he keeps writing them. Perhaps Lee should be placed in a remote location protected from ordinary playwrights. Just to be safe.

Forget wolves, witches and other ghoulish eaters of children. We now have Grandma thanks to Cole Hunter Dzubak. This is pretty unsettling once we get into the play and Cole knows how to ratchet up the tension. With one sibling suspicious and the other not, they provide audience surrogates who might be equally divided on Grandma's behavior. But when that last page comes around, everyone will be served the same disturbing last meal. Brilliantly twisted.

How unsettling would it be if the events of this play happened in real life? Ryan Bultrowicz gives us some interesting food for thought here. Not only do the characters succumb to thoughts of paranoia, fear and guilt (If that's God's eye, are we being judged?), but he throws in the tangible unease of either being too much like the neighbors (are we fitting in?) or not enough like them (They're crazy, we're sane). It's enough to drive the characters mad. This is creepy yet thought provoking stuff at it's best. And still the eye keeps watching...

I guarantee you, no one else is going to come up with something this ludicrous. But then, this is the man responsible for a series of Vampire teddy bear plays, and we all know how awesome those are. Chris Plumridge has concocted a very silly play in the style of Monty Python, but with more wallabies. Whether you buy into the conceit or not, the idea behind this extremely funny piece should get laughs from you right from the get go. Great fun.

Wow, talk about intense. Jillian Blevins just creeped me the hell out with this short piece that takes a mother's bond with her child and practically stitches them together. In a brilliant move, we are never privy to what baby looks like, but something tells me, it can't be good. Husband just wants to help. Looks like he may have just become a "helping"! (And so much for my Tales From the Crypt final line!) This is deeply disturbing, oh-so compelling and would freak an audience out. Wonderful writing here.

Oh, he got me! Darrin Friedman got me. I thought I knew where this was going early on, and boy, was I ever wrong. And never happier to be so wrong. This plays like something Rod Serling would step out at the end and let you know just where you've been visiting. And who you're visiting with. Those phone contracts can be a bitch. But here, the audience will come out on top. Even as Barry does (or maybe doesn't) Fun stuff for the stage.

A loving deconstruction of that oldest joke premise (A BLANK, a BLANK and a BLANK walk into a bar), we get a new wrinkle added to the mix with Lee Lawing's WIDOW character coming in to spice things up (or possibly tear things up). Lawing knows how to wring every laugh from what could be a stale tale, and do it with style. I loved the archetypes (including the ever-present bar tender) and how Widow resolves her issue. And since she hints that this is sort of a dry run, perhaps a sequel involving a duck or horse is warranted.

Now THAT'S how you write a ghost story! Holy cow, that was amazing to read. I imagine it would be even better staged. Christopher Soucy gets you thinking one way (a deliciously creepy way), then turns it on it's head with the reveal of what's going on, AND THEN, throws you right back into the creep zone with another reveal! I loved this one.