Recommended by Robert J. LeBlanc

DC Cathro's THE BAG UNDER THE BED is a wonderful blend of naturalistic dialogue and humor. Verne and Elle have been seeing a therapist to make their sex life more rewarding. They trade-off with their experiments–their new firsts. Tonight it's Elle's turn. This deeply funny examination of self taboo and limitation is so well written. It takes the shame out of experimentation while presenting it in a deeply funny way. DC's style is in full display with the quick dialogue, physical humor, and sympathetic characters. Another laugh-out-loud show by DC Cathro.

Art, fandom, statement vs plagiarism, branding, it's all here in this funny and wonderfully written comedy. DC Cathro's ART IN QUOTATION MARKS fits so much into a small play and does so with an efficiency that doesn't come at the expense of the humor. DC's a great playwright and this tight comedy is a fantastic example of why.

A crumbling proscenium arch and Vaudevillian placards frame Doug Devita’s beautifully crafted FABLE. It is a deep, layered, and theatrically human look at the ownership of your own story. June Havoc and Gypsy Rose Lee feature in June’s remembered biography, her own fable of the creation of the legendary musical, Gypsy.

The dialogue is snappy, touching, funny, and addictive. The Vaudevillian framing is perfect. This show, June’s story, stays with you.

One page long, completely ridiculous, and yet so on point. This put the "T" in Tarantino. The only thing that would make it more authentic would be a gratuitous foot shot. I actually laughed out loud reading this. So well done.

I'LL BE HERE by Philip Middleton Williams is a beautiful play about love and forgiveness. Dan returns with his father, Clyde, to the woods where they bird watched when he was a child. What follows is an exchange that explores catharsis, blame, forgiveness, love, understanding and immortality. There is a deep truth to this play about perspective and peace. It's a story that shows us that strength is not an absence of weakness, but the fallout of survival.

EVERYTHING THEY'VE TOLD YOU by Alice Josephs goes after the shallowness in entertainment in this delightfully bizarre satire. Johnny Ciro gets fired from his soap opera. The media tries to interview him but can't. He can't be found. His mysterious disappearance causes his star to rise. It goes to show that "don't know what you've got until it's gone" might not be cliché, but sound PR advice. We never get to meet Johnny, but we do get to meet some wild characters who intersect his life. This is a fun short with some great characters.

TRAMP STORY by Raymond Alexander Turco is a frantic short with fast talking wit mixed with Vaudevillian aesthetics. It is an absurdist comic delight. A vagrand finds his way into a closed dining car. A waiter tries to get him to show his ticket or be evicted. A man enters looking for lost property. The laughs take off from there. Tramp Story is a funny, fast-paced, and wonderfully bizarre farce with fantastic roles for actors raised on the dream of Vaudeville.

STUCK is funny, sad, realistic, and beautiful two-hander. Mark is focusing on the potential, Karen is focusing on the concrete. Together they bounce between light-hearted normalcy and heart wrenching worry. DC Cathro's use of humor to hit home the drama elevates the emotional impact of the play. Stuck stays with you.

Life throws you curves. It's up to you to decide what to do about it. Do you love who you are and seek people to do the same or do you wallow in self pity and self hatred? Do you see your true beauty or do you see superficial "flaws?" The choices matter and this deft two-hander approaches the subject with grace. Carolina and Francina are sisters stuck in a rut, one sees her inner beauty, the other is filled with self-hatred. This is a play about action and self-positivity–about taking risks and giving yourself permission to love yourself.

I had the privilege of seeing this live as a part of the Orange Players's Acting Up in Connecticut and it quickly became a favorite show. I say that without hyperbole. It is fast, witty, and laugh-out-loud funny. The character of Friend is a stand-out and looks like a dream to play for a comedic actor. Friend is stuck in an awkward position and runs with it to hilarious conclusion. It is a showcase piece, a knock-out, and features characters that can be played by a company's best performers regardless of age, race, or gender. It's a brilliant little show.