Recommended by John Busser

Well THAT went south in a hurry. What started out as a dark comedy turns to grotesque horror so smoothly, you'll barely notice just how screwed these guys are until the last moment. Greg Mandryk knows how to write likeable characters, and here, he makes two mob thugs the guys you want to succeed at this hit. But things have a way of not working out for them. I won't give away why, you need to read it yourself. Or better yet, get someone to stage this so you can see it in all its weird glory.

There are no small roles, only small writers who don't realize the potential gift of making ALL the characters fully-formed ones. Luckily, Greg Mandryk is no small writer and this piece proves it. Not one to waste background characters who, ironically enough, are not only supposed to be seated upstage from the "leads", but manage (with a quick bit of thinking on their part,) to completely upstage the more important characters to delightful effect. This would be a big hit with both audience members AND those eternal ensemble actors who deserve their own time in the spotlight.

Lee lawing is a sick man, but in the best way. This darkly humorous take on the Easter Bunny trying to thrive in modern-day gun-happy 'Merica should give you an indication why. It's funny as hell, pitch-black subversive and made my day. Oh, and Jesus asks to borrow a gun to take down Santa. Tell me YOU wouldn't want to see this staged.

I read the companion piece to this, "Daddy's Safe" a while back and wanted to see what Chris Plumridge brought to the table with this one. Surprisingly enough, this piece works on a completely different level while being almost identical to the other play. What changes things is the gender dynamic utilized. Having the characters switch roles brings a unique flavor to the plot. I wasn't expecting to be intrigued the way I was. Leave it to Plumridge to find this wonderful tonal shift.

As the wise philosophers The Blues Brothers told us, "Everybody needs somebody to love". Even an immortal fish god. And thanks to David Lipschutz and Dana Hall, we get to see it happen. An absolute gem of a short about love, death and sea bass. The combination of horror with a rom com is a great combination. Audiences will love this piece. My favorite line? "I went to Miskatonic U, go unnamables!" Priceless.

I wasn't sure where this was going but it wasn't where it went. How incredibly moving. I guarantee you'll probably tear up upon reading this. I will assume an audience will have more than it's fair share of sniffles on a performance night. Ryan Vaughan has crafted a quiet, yet powerful scene of grief and regret, but he tempers it with a revelation that gives a wounded father a sense that everything will be alright. The connection Ryan writes here is a heartfelt one, and if you could make any play about a shooting somehow uplifting, this is the way.

As satirical as Sam Heyman's monologue piece is, there is a horrifying hint of truth to it. Not only that there exists some theater out there that might actually contemplate instigating this policy, but that there are playwrights who might actually give in to this for that elusive production. It's ridiculous, scary and probably in our play writing future.

Having just listened to this on the Gather by the Ghost light podcast, I am sitting here stunned. Just an amazing production all around. The voice work, the sound design, it's all top notch. But the script itself is a winner from the get go. There are multiple motivations revealed here that give a deeper meaning to this interaction. Both characters have an inner need to see justice done. But there are other considerations of the law vs. justice at play here. There's so much to unpack here. And then, to leave it end the way it does is perfection.

WOW! What a clever concept for a murder mystery. One that, given the right circumstances, could possibly never end. This is wonderfully macabre and gruesome as hell (depending on the production that goes all in on this). It isn't often that horror plays are this original. Well done Cam Eickmeyer!

Oh My God! What a cliff hanger to end this on. Joe Swenson, you had me on the edge of my seat reading this. And what a concept. On the heels of one of mankind's greatest achievements comes one of it's greatest disasters. But instead of it being what you expect, problems with the flight home, the problem is much, much bigger and much, much closer to home. What a great trick is pulled off here. All the tension is created with incoming and outgoing messages. This is smart, clever and terrifying.