Recommended by Kim E. Ruyle

Hilda’s Diner is a well-crafted and engaging mystery / family drama / period piece. With great pacing, Hall ratchets up the suspense and keeps us guessing and leaning in through every scene. Questions are answered along the way, or are they? A play that holds my interest, raises questions, and leaves me thinking about it long after the final curtain is a play I want to see. That’s Hilda’s Diner.

Although a supernatural story, Do Over is imbued with realism from the fully fleshed out characters, naturalistic dialogue, and the emotions generated by the longings of family members meeting at a waystation in the afterlife. Arianna Rose creates theatrical, thought-provoking stories. Do Over is a great example.

From the Right to Write: “I love that sometimes, when a playwright is truly gifted, they can pluck an event out of their own life and use that for information.” Rachel Feeny-Williams is a truly gifted playwright, but I hope the horrible encounter between Sophie and Mark doesn’t too closely reflect a real-life event. No one wants to meet an arrogant prick like Mark who disparages playwrights; but it’s great fun to see how Marnie and Sophie put him in his place. Write on Sophie!

Follow Goldie and friends on a magical tour of Detroit orchestrated by the prolific and creative Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn. A playful trio and assortment of tour guides accompanied by your favorite fairytale characters take us Into the D. And if you don’t know Detroit, this magical, theatre-based tour will convince you that a real visit to Motown is a must. Very clever. Highly entertaining. Into the D is great.

In The Grift of the Magi, Jennifer O’Grady exposes the predatory tactics of unscrupulous pay-to-play producers. As playwrights, many of us might recall a time when our naiveté matched that of the three wise men. With our first play in hand, we wondered: How do I get this produced? Everyone in that position should read O’Grady’s play, a terrific exposé told in entertaining fashion.

In some ways, the world has changed little in the past one hundred years. The remnant of a pandemic. Difficulties in dealing with the mentally ill. Those issues are at play here, but the focus is on how a family deals with the stigma of mental illness, the relationship between grieving sisters, and the fallout that occurs when families aren’t open and honest with each other. Voices from the past enrich and add theatricality. The struggles of the characters are clear. The title perfectly captures the family’s past and perhaps portends the future. A thought-provoking drama. Well done.

Bray introduces us to Bill and Janice, well-drawn characters in an at-risk relationship. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who’s cheating? What constitutes infidelity? It’s a great setup, and the pitch-perfect dialogue playing in a grocery store aisle pulls us into the drama which seesaws between Bill and Janice. Terrific!

Robin Rice has created a rich mosaic of monologues that capture a range of stories and emotions related to female breasts. There is incredible variety in the stories. Variety in the women telling the stories – ages, body types, backgrounds, and values. Variety in the emotional chords struck. Some are poignant, others tragic, and others hilarious. Variety, yes, but each of these stories are consistently thought provoking, skillfully crafted, and thoroughly engaging. I was captivated by The Breast Monologues. Highly recommended.

Darrin Friedman has tackled a difficult subject with courage and sensitivity. The relationship between Brian and Angela is fraught with tension at the outset, but the combination of Angela’s quirkiness, empathy, and skill as a caregiver chips away at Brian’s recalcitrance. Friedman masterfully portrays the evolving relationship between these two so authentically, so poignantly. This is a beautiful, touching play.

Two brothers, long separated, reunite, and the horrible truth about what instigated their separation is revealed. Pyzel so authentically captures the atmosphere and dialogue of the time and place. The relationship between Matt and Jimmy is real. It’s honest. It’s affectionate in the way brothers of that age can be without feeling tender or sentimental. The Return is a heart-rending story that ends with a tragic reveal.