Recommended by Tom Moran

  • Tom Moran: Tracks

    A disturbing vignette from a dystopian near-future. Well-crafted dialogue and characters contribute to a gradual and effective buildup of tension and an unexpected but sadly inevitable conclusion. Engaging and suspenseful.

    A disturbing vignette from a dystopian near-future. Well-crafted dialogue and characters contribute to a gradual and effective buildup of tension and an unexpected but sadly inevitable conclusion. Engaging and suspenseful.

  • Tom Moran: A Craigslist Play

    A fascinating snapshot of loneliness and delusion. The play does a great job of organizing widely disparate thoughts into some semblance of order and sequence, so that it all starts to resemble a coherent narrative. Would love to see it live.

    A fascinating snapshot of loneliness and delusion. The play does a great job of organizing widely disparate thoughts into some semblance of order and sequence, so that it all starts to resemble a coherent narrative. Would love to see it live.

  • Tom Moran: 20 Questions: a found monologue

    A clever idea executed well; remarkably deep and thought-provoking for a 1-minute piece.

    A clever idea executed well; remarkably deep and thought-provoking for a 1-minute piece.

  • Tom Moran: Robbin' the Baby Incubator Cafe

    An appealing, progressive slice-of-life set against a truly weird backdrop. Sometimes period pieces are at their most effective when they shed light onto a little-known place or time, and this brief sojourn to the Yukon-Pacific Exposition certainly fits the bill. Kudos for Stubbles for bringing it to life.

    An appealing, progressive slice-of-life set against a truly weird backdrop. Sometimes period pieces are at their most effective when they shed light onto a little-known place or time, and this brief sojourn to the Yukon-Pacific Exposition certainly fits the bill. Kudos for Stubbles for bringing it to life.

  • Tom Moran: Micronation

    As this funny, breezy piece demonstrates, there are a lot of laughs to be mined from large-scale political legal tomfoolery metastasizing at the local level. Kendall does a fine job taking an absurd situation and running with it, which is perhaps one of the most effective and rewarding things one can do in the 10-minute format. Well worth a read.

    As this funny, breezy piece demonstrates, there are a lot of laughs to be mined from large-scale political legal tomfoolery metastasizing at the local level. Kendall does a fine job taking an absurd situation and running with it, which is perhaps one of the most effective and rewarding things one can do in the 10-minute format. Well worth a read.

  • Tom Moran: Treachery Island

    Like my fellow commenters, I saw episodes 1-3 at a theatre conference and was sucked in. And this is from someone who genuinely hates reality TV and everything it was engendered (a topic that the play certainly addresses.) It's funny, clever, and really leans into the episodic format, keeping the twists and turns coming, ratcheting up the tension, and regularly topping itself. Glad I got a chance to read the whole thing!

    Like my fellow commenters, I saw episodes 1-3 at a theatre conference and was sucked in. And this is from someone who genuinely hates reality TV and everything it was engendered (a topic that the play certainly addresses.) It's funny, clever, and really leans into the episodic format, keeping the twists and turns coming, ratcheting up the tension, and regularly topping itself. Glad I got a chance to read the whole thing!

  • Tom Moran: FOR RICHARD, FOR POORER

    There's a real charm about plays that are essentially monologues because one character knows better than to say anything, and this one encapsulates that quite well. It's sweet and tender and honest and true, and quite funny to boot. Also a great closing line.

    There's a real charm about plays that are essentially monologues because one character knows better than to say anything, and this one encapsulates that quite well. It's sweet and tender and honest and true, and quite funny to boot. Also a great closing line.

  • Tom Moran: Advanced Feature ( 10 min. ZOOM online play)

    Just heard this at a playreading and it went over gangbusters. A really fun script that energetically pokes fun at Zoom while taking clever advantage of some of its features (backgrounds especially) to make the piece work.

    Just heard this at a playreading and it went over gangbusters. A really fun script that energetically pokes fun at Zoom while taking clever advantage of some of its features (backgrounds especially) to make the piece work.

  • Tom Moran: Misfortune

    A solid entry into the "omigod I need to get out of this date" pantheon, which veers off in a pleasantly unexpected direction at the end. Good fun and lots of laughs as the male lead talks himself deeper and deeper into a hole with both his date and the audience. And kudos for coming up with a truly ridiculous sub-sub-sub-genre of fanboyism. L.I.W. would be proud.

    A solid entry into the "omigod I need to get out of this date" pantheon, which veers off in a pleasantly unexpected direction at the end. Good fun and lots of laughs as the male lead talks himself deeper and deeper into a hole with both his date and the audience. And kudos for coming up with a truly ridiculous sub-sub-sub-genre of fanboyism. L.I.W. would be proud.

  • Tom Moran: THE LAST RITES OF ORSON WELLES

    A compelling mix of humor and pathos, this uses Orson Welles' celebrated Paul Masson period as the springboard to the broken-down actor reflecting on happier days. In the larger sense, it's a poignant story about the impermanence of fame and how hard it can be to put aside past glories and accept the present for what it is.

    A compelling mix of humor and pathos, this uses Orson Welles' celebrated Paul Masson period as the springboard to the broken-down actor reflecting on happier days. In the larger sense, it's a poignant story about the impermanence of fame and how hard it can be to put aside past glories and accept the present for what it is.