“ Phil discovers that he can have anything he ever wanted in heaven, but that's where the afterlife falls short. HEAVEN FORBID from Jake Lewis is an often funny and always heartfelt examination of what makes paradise a paradise. It's the best type of short in that it raises as many questions as it answers. ”

“ CORNUCOPIA by Rachel Carmes is a hilarious fast-fire play about two people who love one other enough to go on the offensive with brilliant banter. Built-up tension comes to the surface after a comedy of errors. Finley and Jules find themselves with a late-night furniture issue the night before a family Thanksgiving that they are hosting. Enough old grudges and disagreements are dredged back up to fill a horn of plenty. Though there may not be enough glue and time to save the rickety table, there is enough love laced through the barbs to know that their relationship is sound. ”

“ Bullying can be brutal, doubly so when it is facilitated by someone you trust. CHLOE AND ZOEY is a tense scene that plays out with honest realism. Chloe helped in a plot to undermine her younger sister. Mom discovers the bullying and needs to try to handle the situation in a manner that teaches a lesson while negotiating the complexities of her own troubled relationships. The real stand-out is Zoey and her strength of character. DC Cathro is one of my favorite playwrights. Works like this, simple, direct, complex, are the reasons why. ”

“ IMPERFECT STORMS is a cinematic two-hander about lost love, identity, and survival. Scott Sickles keeps a tight focus on the relationship as a dangerous flood rages outside and threatens to collapse the building that Louis and Kelian are sheltering in. Their relationship is over but there is still love and understanding. This is a thrilling heartbreaker. ”