Recommended by Tom Moran

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    For some, low-level customer service is a trial to be endured before moving on to better things; for others, it is the better thing. Both types collide in this absorbing, briskly-paced, entirely believable piece set in a sometimes-manic coffeeshop. Of particular note is the dialogue, which never feels stilted, and the deft characterizations. Laced with equal parts humor and genuine heart, it's the next best thing to being there - in fact, it may be better.

    For some, low-level customer service is a trial to be endured before moving on to better things; for others, it is the better thing. Both types collide in this absorbing, briskly-paced, entirely believable piece set in a sometimes-manic coffeeshop. Of particular note is the dialogue, which never feels stilted, and the deft characterizations. Laced with equal parts humor and genuine heart, it's the next best thing to being there - in fact, it may be better.

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    Got to see this at the Valdez Theatre Conference and enjoyed the hell out of it. I'm not even sure I know what it's about: the anonymity of the service industry, the awkwardness of first dates, and the morphing state of relationships over years are all running themes in a richly layered 3-hander. But the repartee is so crisp, the characters so relatable and the milieu (and menu!) so richly described that I was content to just let it flow over me like a pomegranate magic shell.

    Got to see this at the Valdez Theatre Conference and enjoyed the hell out of it. I'm not even sure I know what it's about: the anonymity of the service industry, the awkwardness of first dates, and the morphing state of relationships over years are all running themes in a richly layered 3-hander. But the repartee is so crisp, the characters so relatable and the milieu (and menu!) so richly described that I was content to just let it flow over me like a pomegranate magic shell.

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    Just how far are you willing to sell out to (literally) save your own skin? That's the inspired premise behind this piece, which skewers the everything-for-a-buck ethos of showbiz against a ridiculous sci-fi background. Tons of fun and well worth a look.

    Just how far are you willing to sell out to (literally) save your own skin? That's the inspired premise behind this piece, which skewers the everything-for-a-buck ethos of showbiz against a ridiculous sci-fi background. Tons of fun and well worth a look.

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    Just saw this at the Valdez Theatre Conference and it was the most thought-provoking thing I saw all week. A fascinating, deftly imagined look at the AI-tinged future we'll all careening towards, it's both bleak and hopeful, disturbing and deeply human. It's easy to stage, disarming in the simplicity of its setup and filled with the sort of humanity that, the play suggests, we are all in danger of losing. Very much worth a read.

    Just saw this at the Valdez Theatre Conference and it was the most thought-provoking thing I saw all week. A fascinating, deftly imagined look at the AI-tinged future we'll all careening towards, it's both bleak and hopeful, disturbing and deeply human. It's easy to stage, disarming in the simplicity of its setup and filled with the sort of humanity that, the play suggests, we are all in danger of losing. Very much worth a read.

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    I was fortunate to see this gripping one-woman show at the Valdez Theatre Conference. It's an absorbing journey throughout, pingponging between personal history, quiet moments bonding with dogs and harrowing recounts of dogsled misadventures. It's a fascinating look into a niche sport, and is also a hell of a role for the right actress, incorporating multiple roles and requiring an extraordinary amount of energy to pull off. Would be great to see fully staged.

    I was fortunate to see this gripping one-woman show at the Valdez Theatre Conference. It's an absorbing journey throughout, pingponging between personal history, quiet moments bonding with dogs and harrowing recounts of dogsled misadventures. It's a fascinating look into a niche sport, and is also a hell of a role for the right actress, incorporating multiple roles and requiring an extraordinary amount of energy to pull off. Would be great to see fully staged.

  • Tom Moran: Save Game by Kristen Ritter
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    Ritter's absorbing and fun piece explores the shifting relationship between a trio of game designers, alternating between reality and in-game sequences. The pairing serves the crisp narrative well, as philosophical and personal conflict drive two longtime friends apart and manifest themselves in an increasingly fraught video-game world. A well-thought-out piece of drama that was great fun to see read (at the Valdez Theatre Conference) and would be even more engaging as a full production.

    Ritter's absorbing and fun piece explores the shifting relationship between a trio of game designers, alternating between reality and in-game sequences. The pairing serves the crisp narrative well, as philosophical and personal conflict drive two longtime friends apart and manifest themselves in an increasingly fraught video-game world. A well-thought-out piece of drama that was great fun to see read (at the Valdez Theatre Conference) and would be even more engaging as a full production.

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  • Tom Moran: TrapDoor: A multi-dimensional romp across space/time by Heidi Kraay
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    The multiverse is fertile ground for drama, and Kraay uses it to its full potential in this psychological drama/sci-fi epic/extended chase sequence. A gateway between dimensions is only the starting point as Kraay creates a constantly shifting reality that offers glimpses of a bright future but just barely outpaces a troubled past. Fascinating, at times concreate and abstract, and engaging throughout, Trapdoor is a ride worth taking.

    The multiverse is fertile ground for drama, and Kraay uses it to its full potential in this psychological drama/sci-fi epic/extended chase sequence. A gateway between dimensions is only the starting point as Kraay creates a constantly shifting reality that offers glimpses of a bright future but just barely outpaces a troubled past. Fascinating, at times concreate and abstract, and engaging throughout, Trapdoor is a ride worth taking.

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  • Tom Moran: Failing by Erin Moughon
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    This remarkably affecting short two-hander starts as a teenage melodrama until a sudden (and, for this audience member, wholly unexpected) plot twist turns it into something much more. "Failing" turns into a celebration of everyday heroism and a potent reminder of all of our responsibilities for one another in these dark times. Which is a lot for a 20-minute play, but "Failing" pulls it off.

    This remarkably affecting short two-hander starts as a teenage melodrama until a sudden (and, for this audience member, wholly unexpected) plot twist turns it into something much more. "Failing" turns into a celebration of everyday heroism and a potent reminder of all of our responsibilities for one another in these dark times. Which is a lot for a 20-minute play, but "Failing" pulls it off.

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  • Tom Moran: Sorry We're Open by Nina Kissinger
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    "The employees at an art shop battle the Christmas rush" doesn't seem like the stuff of high drama, but "Sorry We're Open" is greater than the sum of its parts. Kissinger populates the store with sympathetic, richly drawn characters and entwines their storylines in a way that very much pays off over the course of the piece. It's a richly funny and heartfelt journey through a set of often invisible and thankless professions, and one well worth taking.

    "The employees at an art shop battle the Christmas rush" doesn't seem like the stuff of high drama, but "Sorry We're Open" is greater than the sum of its parts. Kissinger populates the store with sympathetic, richly drawn characters and entwines their storylines in a way that very much pays off over the course of the piece. It's a richly funny and heartfelt journey through a set of often invisible and thankless professions, and one well worth taking.

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  • Tom Moran: Flying Away A short play by David Adam Gill
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    What a delight. Gill takes the conventions of 1930's film melodrama and uses them to tell a completely unexpected queer love story. Both ridiculous and heartfelt, the witty dialogue, knowing nods to the genre and constant surprises keep this piece wholly entertaining throughout.

    What a delight. Gill takes the conventions of 1930's film melodrama and uses them to tell a completely unexpected queer love story. Both ridiculous and heartfelt, the witty dialogue, knowing nods to the genre and constant surprises keep this piece wholly entertaining throughout.

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