Recommended by Enid Cokinos

A fabulous twist on the traditional fairy tale bedtime story. The young daughter asking logic-based questions as her father *tries* to tell her a story immediately pulled me. “Once upon a time” raised the question in her mind: “Didn’t they have carbon dating?” – to figure out when the story took place…and the fun doesn’t stop there! THE BEAUTIFUL OGRE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES by Dwayne Yancey is full of humorous dialogue and opportunities for actors to shine. A perfect play for the whole family.

THE MOTHER OF ALL FAIRY TALES jumps right into the action when Jessica wakes her soundly sleeping teenager at three o’clock a.m. to watch the fairy tale wedding of William and Kate. Mom (very excited) and teen daughter (not so much) kicks off a heated discussion about love, marriage, and family. Neal Reynolds has written a touching play with some warm, fuzzy mother-daughter moments. This would be perfect for any festival, especially those with a Mother’s Day theme.

Vivian Lermond had me at the title, and of course, chocoholic that I am, the Ghoul’s desire to “savor the flavor of a Cadbury’s or a Hershey Bar!” GHOULS CAN’T DO CANDY is a fabulous monologue filled with family-friendly humor, and wonderful alliterations and rhyme. Lermond’s descriptive language brought this Halloween monologue to life. This script is a real treasure and perfect for any short play/monologue festival.

When a character steps through the veil of the great beyond to help tell a story, I’m hooked. Through poignant dialogue and haunting lyrics, Kristoffer Bjarke and Kara Cutruzzula have captured the touching story of an artist’s rise to fame—and all that it entails—and the debate surrounding the mysterious subject of her last painting. LETTERS FROM MAY is a wonderfully written short musical that will stay with the audience long after the lights come up.

Another touching park bench play by John J. Kelly. Anna and Evelyn, two fabulous ladies of a certain age, remind us that there is beauty all around us and can (and should) be enjoyed with all of our senses. Delightful dialogue, wry humor, and a scoundrel named “Francois” keep SUNSET SKIES interesting from start to finish.

Susan Middaugh has captured the uncertainty of stepping back into the dating scene at a later age in her touching short play A SENIOR MOMENT. Although Helen and Tom have their differences, I finished reading the script with my fingers crossed that these two characters make it as a couple!

Based on the children’s nursery rhyme, THREE BAGS FULL is a lovely story about the spirit of giving. Hats off to Lily Dwoskin and Xiaodan Zhang for this creative musical filled with love, friendship, and fabulous lyrics that tug at your heartstrings. This is one for the whole family to see…and probably more than once.

A poetic piece by David Patton. The speaker welcomes Spring, but says farewell to Winter; not the regrettable parts of that season (and we know what those entail), but this: “Ah, but Winter, I shall miss your silences.” Lovely.

I had the pleasure of watching the recording of the October 2022 staged reading of VANNA HELSING performed at Center for the Arts in Bonita Springs, FL. A wonderful reading of a fun play by Christopher Lindsay! All talented actors, especially Frank Blocker playing Balaam (the audience clearly enjoyed his performance). If you have a chance, check it out on YouTube!

What a delightful short musical. The story of Elena and Lorna, along with fabulous lyrics in “Zero Percent Chance of Visibility,” says it all. These sassy, cheeky ladies of a certain age aren’t going to let life pass them by; they’re going to charge forward with gusto. This would be such fun to see on stage. Well done, Marj and Arianna.