Recommended by Marcia Eppich-Harris

Alpdrücken is a devilish bit of schadenfreude! Turning the tables on the nightmare elf and giving him a taste of human anxiety is pretty funny and clever. It would be fun to see this dark comedy in a festival! It's a different kind of fairy tale -- both entertaining and getting to the root of the stories we tell ourselves to make the world make sense. Nicely done!

I read The Peculiar Puppets of Philip Platt, so I wanted to read the sequel. I found this one even more touching! Knowing the backstory of Penny's dad, Philip, made this play even more special. I love how the puppets made such a difference for both the dad and the daughter, and that the daughter was named after Philip's lost love. The threads between these two plays are really lovely and shows how tragedy impacts us for the rest of our lives -- sometimes in good ways. I loved both plays!

We never stop needing our friends -- real or imaginary. I really love the breakthrough in this piece: understanding that that need for friendship and community is real, even if we're exploring it with puppets. There are some great lines in here, too, so lots of range for actors to run with. Well done!

Gift giving is really hard. It's an attempt to connect with someone and show them you care. So what happens when you buy a gift (that you think is perfect) from a cheesy location that everyone thinks is beneath them? Does the source of the gift matter as much as the thought? Can we find perfection in unexpected places? Deep thoughts can come out of this small gem of a play. It got me thinking, for sure!

I love conversations like this, and a conversation like this always needs wine. A sparse set, two good actors, and some wine glasses, and you’ve got the makings of a great play. Fun and fruitful, with hints of citrus and sarcasm.

I love this. In dire situations, any little kindness or comfort can make us hesitate to save ourselves. We don't know what Klaus did, but it must have been something important to make the soldier hesitate. This is a strong, poignant piece, and it would be effective as both a staged monologue and a radio play. Well done!

For Albee fans, this is a great send up of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf! The twist at the end is completely unexpected! Poor Marth-- I mean, poor woman! And yet, for the man to have a happy ending is satisfying, especially after all that the couple has been through together. Nobody in the original had a happy ending -- at least this version gives a little hope to someone. I also enjoyed the narrator and the meta feel of the piece.

With the right timing, this has loads of comic potential -- especially early in the piece. As it goes on, it gets more reflective and thoughtful. It's interesting to think about connecting with a stranger in a place that's special to us as a child. The woman in the piece visits on a nostalgic mission, while the man is having an existential crisis. Both need some relief from the trappings of their lives, and mercifully find it. Lovely.

The Honest Interview is a satirical takedown of the highest form! Petra's description of the company was brutal, and yet, it could describe approximately every tech company in the world. (And not just tech companies...) The corporate corruption and boys' club atmosphere are everywhere. What great social commentary -- and it's funny because it's (sadly) true. Well done! I'd love to see it staged!

Oh boy, have I been there. I really related to Michelle's weltschmerz in the midst of being a stay-at-home mom. It would be tempting to take the good life guarantee, even at the high cost. But the realization that suffering is part of a whole life is one that we cannot and should not ignore. There's not only room for comic potential in this play, but also contemplation of the bigger issues for young moms. Love it.