Recommended by Kim E. Ruyle

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!

Rx is the chilling tale of a group of HS students strung out on drugs. Cassidy, the detached, businesslike dealer of choice, dishes out a wide assortment of pills to her victims who are convinced pills will either take the edge off or give an academic edge. No one is spared the consequences that range from betrayal to death. Debbie Lamedman shows how innocently the slide into drug use can begin. She sets up several striking, surreal scenes as experienced by a student high on pills. This cautionary tale provides a large cast with good roles for mature teens.

Wonderfully natural dialogue as mother and daughter speak around and past each other while exposing an appallingly dysfunctional relationship. The characters are sharply defined. Jean is a tragic figure looking for life in the images and memories of descendants. Lily seems reasonable enough but has been a disappointment to her mother. Lots to chew on here including a conclusion that offers a hint of hope. Terrific!

Oh my, God! This is brilliant. At times, everyone (except self-deluded sociopaths, I suppose) feels insecure. When Tim is sent through an INsecurity scanner as part of his job interview, he abandons everything but his boxers in order to pass the test. This play is not only hilarious, it’s an insightful look at the human condition. I’m not pulling your leg… I’m pulling mine! Love it!

Vivian Lermond is the prolific and masterful creator of short plays that refresh and invigorate like a brisk walk or a spot of tea. She’s done it again with Framed, the newest addition to her MAD FOR MYSTERY Collection. Jump in the car with the charming Stillwell sisters and go along for the ride. Navigate the English countryside, look for clues in a disheveled cottage, and investigate in a “jumble shop” – all in the pursuit of a murderer and to find justice for their client. This is a wonderful radio play.