Recommended by Kim E. Ruyle

Ma refers to Roger, “…my son with the overactive imagination. This is just some cockamamie notion you have in your head…” But I submit that it’s really John Busser who has the wild, crazy (overactive?) imagination, and I love it! Busser cranks out one gem after another, and Hanging on for Near Life is certainly a gem. Imaginative. Original. Funny as hell. Busser written all over it.

John Patrick Bray has written a well-researched and highly theatrical play that weaves many issues – faith, eating disorders, theft, smuggling, family relationships, and more – into a very thought-provoking story. Each flawed character is sharply defined and faces interconnecting personal dilemmas. I’d very much like to see this staged.

From where does a writer draw inspiration? If we depend on others for our inspiration, how creative are we, really? Pity poor Max who not only struggles with to complete his play, but he must also contend with seductive taunts from his muse. Is she real? Is she imagined? Rachel Feeny-Williams knows the truth and found her muse to write this clever play.

In Buckle, we see two high school students break into a classroom in the middle of the night and begin a dance figuratively and literally. Star shows such raw emotion at the reading of the poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” but also demonstrates insight. She makes us feel the threat and sense her vulnerability. Threat and vulnerability are at the heart of this play. The threat of being caught. The threat of Papa’s belt buckle. Even the threat of a kiss during a waltz. But as Jen and Star share their vulnerability, they bond. A terrific play!

What makes Funniest Home Videos so popular? Why do we laugh when others fall on their ass on the ice or get hit in the nuts? It’s our human nature, I guess, to laugh when others take a pratfall as long as we know it’s not really all that serious. Jack Levine understands that quirk of human nature and exploits it in hilarious fashion in this monologue. Fantastic!

For Mark, the decision to report a plagiarizing student is no decision at all. His principles are unflinching. Nothing tempts him to cross the line. But Mark does have temptations in which the line isn’t so sharply drawn. Williams has written a wonderful story of men wrestling with decisions that have consequences. In the satisfying conclusion, Mark certainly leaves with some lessons learned. In that regard, it’s been a good year. Even more so for Brian, the HS senior who has lessons that he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life. A thought-provoking piece!

Headstrong is a wonderfully witty and edgy play that hurtles along as it slings razor-sharp quips spiced with literary references. Really clever! Sapio manages to weave high-brow hilarity with slapdash physical comedy – not an easy feat. Headstrong is a wild, wacky, and unpredictable ride, a ride you won’t want to end. Highly recommended.

Paul, Amanda, and Zoe are at each other’s throats, each driven by their own agenda. But in the end, they unite – swimming naked with a bank roll wins the day. Investors be damned. Swimming Naked is a fun, frenzied farce with lots of theatricality, lots of physicality. Would like to this staged!

A few weeks ago, I read and recommended Framed which was recently posted by the prolific and talented Vivian Lermond. After reading For Love or Money, I found myself fondly revisiting the delightful Stillwell sisters, a pair of unlikely sleuths who take us on an entertaining ride as they solve another mystery in a radio play. Check out For Love or Money and Vivian’s complete MAD FOR MYSTERY Collection. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Animals inexplicably behaving as murdering marauders – Hitchcock had birds, and Cathro has dogs. What’s it take to scare the piss out of you? Pete and Katie find out when forced to take refuge in a storage closet with the hounds of hell just outside. Spooky and fun!