Recommended by John Busser

A "normal" work day is anything but (no pun intended) for sex worker Cleo as she takes on an increasingly comic number of clients. Comic for the audience, that is. With brutally honest, yes sympathetic talk, Cleo helps a customer through marital discord, a woman finding out about a certain Katy Perry song, and the most awkward family gathering of all time. Chris Plumridge's characters feel very real in their search for sexual connection with all its pitfalls and ill-timed body movements. Absolutely worth your time to read, and I'll bet it would be hilarious to stage. Terrific.

Like something Hitchcock might do after a little too much cough syrup, Marigold is an hilarious comedy of errors and mistaken identity. I first heard this on Jonathan Cook's Gather by the Ghost Light radio podcast (which you should definitely add to your podcast listening right now) and just went back and reread as it is a genre I enjoy, the spy thriller. Better yet, a COMEDIC spy thriller. This would be wonderful to see staged.

Sometimes, all you need is someone in your corner to feel like you're not completely up against the wall. Marj O'Neill-Butler has written an uplifting short piece that gives us that someone in the title character. In these dark times where so many people are dividing faster than a grade school math class, a sweet, positive tale like this is just what we need. Thank you Marj.

Auditions are tough enough when you don't know who's reading for what. But when all three characters find they are reading for the same role, both the cat claws and the insecurities come out. Jacquie writes very natural sounding dialogue with gentle humor (none of the characters are outright mean, although they do pull a few disparaging comments out for the occasion) and it's nice to see them both try to discourage the others while providing support for each other when needed. And then there's that ending. I love the dig she takes at someone you'll probably know. Fun stuff.

So many people will relate to this monologue, not because of the subject matter, but because of the speaker themself. Jaye expresses the thoughts that many of us harbor in our darkest times. I don't necessarily mean suicide. I can't remember ever falling so low as to think it a viable course of action. But I've certainly questioned (and harshly too) my own self worth as a human being. Jacquie Floyd gives us an all too human character that even feels unworthy to commit the worst sin of all because of the inconvenience. Powerful and deeply moving .

What an intriguing premise! I was flying through this short piece by Jacquie Floyd trying to figure out where it was going before the writer revealed it. And it was a much better resolution than I could come up with in my dreams. Which is so appropriate for this material. It's got the humor Jacquie is known for, but there is some real substance underlying the surreal setup. I would love to see this staged and I think it would be a real treat for an audience.

The title alone hooked me in, but the subject matter is what kept me. Whether you're a man or woman, everyone wants to stay relevant, and Brenda in this play is no different. There are laughs a'plenty here, but enough serious dialogue to drive home some important points about what you want, versus what you THINK you want. Bruce Karp is a much smarter writer than to JUST go for laughs (although there ARE a lot of them), and there's some depth and pathos to this piece that make it a winner.

This play exhibits one of the great fundamental tenets of comedy. Escalation. As these soldiers try to outperform one another as to who makes a more convincing corpse, you can't help but laugh as they try and then critique each other. A very funny piece.

Well THAT escalated quickly. And thank God for that. Because this is an hilarious piece of writing that deserves to spread its chaotic wings onstage. David Lipschutz paints a picture of pure insanity that is hard not to love. Some family get togethers are painful. This one is painful...ly enjoyable. WHo needs Christmas when you've got [C]Han[n]uk[k]a[h]!

Marcia Eppich-Harris has written a truly funny look at what might really be going on with the Big Bad Wolf. Is he losing his teeth, so to speak? When the sound of remorse starts coming out instead of a deadly howl, is it time for the wolf to pack it in and blow this fairy tale housing project instead of some piggy houses? Luckily, there's a good woman (or bad female wolf in this case) behind our anti-hero, giving him just what he needs to remain the monster he is. Funny and filled with great dialogue, this is a winner.