Recommended by John Busser

The secret to a good theater piece includes compelling characters telling a relatable story. Vivian Lermond serves us up a plateful of that here along with a side of charm. I loved the homespun rhythms of Ida and Willie's speech patterns. It was almost lyrical in a way they tossed down home idioms and turns of phrase. I liked that both characters were looking for something even as they say they're not. They want connection. And we, as the audience, get it as well. This was just lovely.

This sooooooo reminds me of Sam and Ralph, the wolf and sheepdog from cartoons Looney Tunes. And I mean that in a good way. This is a fun, breezy less-than-10-minute look in to the lives of some pretty famous working stiffs. Reminds us that we're all just punching a 9-to-5 clock, whether we're balancing a spreadsheet or terrorizing some campers. There needs to be a Bigfoot Break Room sighting soon.

People we love never really go away. They exist, in an old photo, a song on the radio, a box in the attic, a memory in our heart. May needs something more, a manifestation she can continue to live her life with. But it comes with a price. As she grows closer to the memory of a lost child, she inadvertently pushes her husband away. As he tries to get his wife to move on, we find he has his own connection to his daughter that complicates his being able to. This is touching and heartbreaking.

Holy cow, was this a fun day at a ball game, courtesy of Tom (and Marty) Moran. What a clever look at the real truth behind so much of organized sports, brought to you from an unexpected source (and I loved the fact that it comes both literally and figuratively from left field). There is the double-edged "us vs them" from both teams and employee status. There is the clever use of musical interludes. And best of all, there's heckling from Karl Marx. I loved this piece! Somebody stage this.

Absolutely wonderful stuff from Matthew Weaver. The Three Bears crossed with Rear Window is the best way I can describe this weird look at a favored fairytale. I love the setup, the names of the bears, and their whole take on our rubbernecking (but not too close), don't-want-to-get-involved-but-nosy-as-all-hell society. I'd love to see a whole bunch of reimagined childhood tales like this from Weaver. And what a hoot this would be not only as a play, but a children's book too.

Ah, the comics. So much fodder for fun. And Tom Moran delivers it here in a breezy 10 minutes that both spoofs the genre and says some meaningful things about the cyclical nature of love/hate relationships, hierarchy in work relationships, men vs women, pissing contests and what REALLY happened to Lava Lad. I loved the fact that I thought it would end one way and Tom subverted my expectations and delivered an ending better than what would usually happen in serialized storytelling. Nicely done.

So many of us are resistant to change and this monologue encapsulates that in a wonderfully visual way (and I'd love to see how this would be brought off by a theater). Rachel Aberman writes something very relatable here and it is ironic for someone who doesn't want to put down roots but at the same time wants things to stay in place as they are. But be careful what you wish for. You may get exactly what you don't want.

As I read this play, I tried to imagine how it would sound coming out of a radio and damn if it doesn't work! The fast-paced dialogue, the mystery of whodunit, the shots, tire squeals, footsteps and more. I was intrigued from the start and would love to hear an audio version of this. Well done Vivian!

An interview that starts out spectacularly weird and gets even weirder as it goes, which is the charm of this piece by Cam Torres. Despite how much Dylan flusters and blusters his way through what could have been a painful interaction, his quick wit and nerve win over the interviewer as they connect in a real way that is usually absent from these kinds of dealings. Dylan may have been applying for a different job than the one he ends up doing for Donna, but he wins both her and the audience over. Fun stuff.

This is just the sort of absurdity that brings a smile to my face and makes me think laughing thoughts. This was hilarious in its buildup and perfect in execution. Tom Moran has written a wonderful gem of a play. A silly situation with enough real-world familiarity to make it sing true. I would love to watch an audience of parents who wished they had the foresight to do what Mark did in this play. Just terrific.