Recommended by Kim E. Ruyle

Great timing - we get into the story at the perfect point and leave at the perfect point. It’s tense. It’s awkward. It’s engaging. Dialogue is pitch perfect. A story that’s heartfelt, touching, and real.

Pass the vegetables, all seasoned with very clever and amusing wordplay. Morey serves them up seasoned with a big dose of creativity and humor. His vegetables not only taste funny, they talk funny!

The Recruit is such a gritty, real, and powerful play. Patton knows this world, and it comes alive in his set and character descriptions and raw dialogue. Freddy, the recruit, has his eyes opened uncomfortably wide in the aftermath of a fire that’s claimed the life of a poor old sod. Wullie gives Freddy a history lesson, of sorts, a jarring lesson in reality. Gripping. Poignant. Terrific!

Mark, just Mark, and Rose, the ultimate Variety Pack, deal with the demise of their engagement in this wickedly funny, fast-paced story. So much to love about this! Compelling characters. Sizzling dialogue – so many great lines delivered by Rose who excels at improv as well as Shakespeare. Fantastic!

From the opening sentence, Christopher Plumridge had me hooked. I can’t wait to get to the next serial installment in this fable in which a teddy bear is the endearing narrator. This initial monologue is a perfect setup to the historical context and dramatic inciting incident. Well done!

Intentions matter, but even when intentions are perfect, life sometimes deals unforeseen and unpleasant, even horrible consequences. In this stepfather – daughter drama, Jack Levine reveals the noblest of intentions and loving spirit of both John and Sarah. The bond between them is very real and touching. Jack’s play made me reflect on my relationship with my wonderful daughters. Thank you, Jack.

Vivian Lermond always delights, and Mae Day excels in entertaining (to be expected) and informing (more surprising). Vivian did her research for this 10-minute play, and I learned enough about Mae West to ignite my curiosity to delve more deeply in her life. She was known for her sexy persona and clever use of double-entendres, and Vivian, true to character, delivers many great one-liners in this fantastic piece.

It’s great fun to see Brenda, a city employee, put the devil through bureaucratic hell when he applies to fly a flag for Satanic Appreciation Week. The roadblocks Brenda sets up are devilish and delightful with references to the DMV and the devil’s handwriting and drawing skills. Satan’s frustration is hilarious.

John Busser’s done it again. A ten-minute play with comically-gold dialog, intriguing characters (especially the namesake, C’Thulhu), and a fun premise. Fantastic.

It’s rare, I think, for intimate relationships to momentarily break and then rebuild into deep friendships. But how sweet that is when former lovers are able to be friends and confidantes. Feeney-Williams gives us that story in a short play that follows Max and Jenny from childhood to old age. It’s a poignant, bittersweet story delivered with a deft hand.