Recommended by Kim E. Ruyle

Jean Ciampi writes plays that are full of fun and heart. Yazoo, Miss'ssippi is no exception. The characters are so distinct and lovable, foibles and all. The verbally handicapped and thoroughly endearing Phoebe is my favorite, but Samantha, the acerbic HR manager, is a close second. This play has it all, winged newts, confused identities, explosions, and sparks of romance. Really a lovely play that I expect will be produced often.

This play got me thinking, considering the human race and its need to create gods, the need to predict the future, the need for certainty. A white god seated on the throne has his status, at the end of a millennium, challenged four other gods of various hues. Lee R. Lawing has created an amusing but very thought-provoking scenario. Excellent.

Lee R. Lawing brings to life real and compelling historical figure, King Dick. In the space of about ten minutes and, as I imagined it, inside a makeshift boxing ring, the towering King Dick, with two scrawny pupils under his wing, shares his 12 rules of boxing, of winning, of life. I’d love to see this highly theatrical piece staged!

Ah, a little spice in the bedroom. DC Cathro spins a story that’s sweet and funny and perhaps, for many, quite thought-provoking. I love the theatricality and the dialogue which so clearly captures Elle’s bargaining and Verne’s hesitation – make that, Verne’s fear. Takes courage to sample spicy food, but sometimes it’s worth it. And in the bedroom… The Bag Under the Bed is terrific.

I was hooked from the opening line! Deb Cole’s short play is so clever, so much fun, and feels all too real. Thank goodness that playwrights like Louisa (at least in my experience) greatly outnumber rude, wannabe writers like Andrew. Now, I want to read Andrew’s play and Louisa’s feedback! Excellent!

Deb Cole gives us a multi-cultural version of the Christmas story with a great cast of characters including a grinch of a hotel manager, three wise first responders, and an angel of a hotel owner. The message of love and unity is delivered as well as Faith, a newborn baby girl. Delightful.

Donald E. Baker has a gift for comedy. That’s he’s able to take such a horrifying scenario and spin in a way that softens it with humor so it’s palatable is a testament to his craft. The humor allows us to stomach the acidity of tolerated, overt racism from the not-so-distant past. Highly recommended.

Hilarious! The names! Dick, Dickie, Willy, Peter, and Longman. The clever dialogue! Just one example: “In the hierarchy of… Harry’s was the (hands apart) ruler.” In the Long and Short of It, Donald E. Baker courageously tackles a delicate subject with grace and humor. Bravo!

The Princess of Caspia is a wonderfully witty script with loads of laugh-out-loud moments. The drama and conflict and hilarity play out in a love triangle involving Rhonda, Taylor, and Simon. Rhonda seems the most sensible and is willing to leave her fiancé for Simon who can’t summon the courage to leave Taylor, his horny but neglected wife. Dave, Rhonda’s fiancé, plays a critical role by sharing through monologues his angst, his internal dialogue. The Princess of Caspia is a fun, fast-moving, fantastic story. This needs to be staged!

Mysterious. Dark. Thought-provoking. Ricardo Soltero-Brown’s Sick Day pulled me in from several directions. From the opening beats, Ari instills mystery in the setting that includes an enchanting garden. The enigmatic characters are provocative. And the dialogue is so rich. Jo and Mel and Ari talk to and around each other and manage to say so much in between the lines in what’s not said. Who is who? What is real? What isn’t? Sick Day will make you think. Bravo!