Recommended by Mike Byham

Genuine characters with deeply moving relationships drive the narrative in this family drama/comedy. Philip Middleton Williams does a wonderful job of avoiding cliches while maturely dealing with themes of unrealized expectations and alcoholism in ALL TOGETHER AGAIN. These are people that you want to know, root for and embrace as your own. This play is meant to be produced and audiences will enjoy this one over and over. Very well done.

Oh my god you guys! I like, totally wish I wrote this! So funny, clever and ultimately showing heart, ICE IN THEIR VEINS is certain to delight audiences of all ages while offering up wonderful opportunities for young actors to exercise their comedic chops. So much fun! Marvelous.

Chris Plumridge has crafted a fun piece of historical fiction that is certain to delight audiences everywhere. AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED embraces the concept of greatness as ordinary people who do great things. We see the royal family and British PM in their intimacy reveling in the aftermath of VE Day, revealing them to be ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Plumridge wises uses a servant’s son’s unknown status to raise the emotional stakes without sacrificing humor. Well done!

Ian Donley crafts a rich tapestry of emotional vignettes in “goddamnit I miss you.” This quilt of grief and remembrance will require clever staging but will be incredibly effective in the right hands. The characters are clearly delineated with SHADOW created from the stuff of dreams - both pleasant and terrifying. I would love to see this on stage. Compelling theatre that will move audiences.

Writing theatre for youth can be daunting - difficulty in finding themes and situations that can be both educational and fun. Brent Alles proves up to the challenge with THE FINAL VOYAGE OF CAPTAIN KIDD. Entertaining, interesting and providing plenty of grist for the intellectual mill, audiences of all ages will delight in the adventures of the Sea Sparrow. The piece provides theatrical educators wonderful opportunities for creative staging and roles kids will love to play. Ahoy sailors!

Creepy, shocking and downright frightening, Christopher Soucy elevates the camping trip gone bloody trope with a truly disturbing fireside tale. WARMEST BY THE FIRE will thrill readers and audiences alike. Cleverly set in Appalachia and drawing on the legends found in the area’s hoots and hollers, this play will challenge directors and actors. And for the sake of the audience, it may be recommended to leave the house lights on during production. It’s that spooky.

Ryan Kaminski takes us on a winning ride with THE SUNSET TRAIN. The story unfolds as a standard western villain finds a heart tale, but then the track takes a couple of unexpected turns. Fun, interesting and enjoyable. Solid work!

Whodunits are one of the most difficult types of plays to write - requiring a plausible death (or two or three), multiple characters provided with reasonable cause and the ratcheting of suspense as necessary elements. Peter Fenton blends these elements together expertly pulling us into a world where any number of outcomes is possible. I was guessing (wrongly - I might add) the whole way through. Captivating! Additional bonus - the set is a dream. Would love to see it!

The best way to influence is to engage in a manner that entertains. There is no better way to do this than through humor. Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn nails the concept with the satirical short THE BAKED ALASKA INCIDENT. I laughed, was shocked, ruminated, grew concerned, then laughed some more. Great concept, characters and dialogue. Thoroughly enjoyable. I would love to see this one staged.

Absolutely love this short - hitting all the right notes with me. I'm an airline employee, a Trekker of a certain age with family flying apart, and a Hilton Diamond member (I think Philip must have access to my Alexa). So relatable and so well done. I got a bit misty-eyed at the end. It's amazing what you can get and feel from a ten-minute read when the writing is so good. Needs to be staged.