Recommended by John Mabey

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    A wise clown and a runaway bride make the perfect duo in UNBRIDLED FEAR by Donald Loftus. The surreal elements throughout make the comedy even funnier and the heartfelt even sweeter. I was really invested in both characters and the ingenious way that Loftus gives their initial meeting such chemistry and vitality as strangers but with mutual understanding. It was a joy for me to watch this story come alive on screen and would be fantastic on stage too.

    A wise clown and a runaway bride make the perfect duo in UNBRIDLED FEAR by Donald Loftus. The surreal elements throughout make the comedy even funnier and the heartfelt even sweeter. I was really invested in both characters and the ingenious way that Loftus gives their initial meeting such chemistry and vitality as strangers but with mutual understanding. It was a joy for me to watch this story come alive on screen and would be fantastic on stage too.

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    Love is definitely on the menu in Bruce Karp’s play, LOVE AT THE EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. The characters each have unique personalities that are grounded from the start, and I’m rooting for them as much as I’m laughing at the comedy that’s filled with so much heart. I especially love how Bruce writes these characters with both respect for their years and enthusiasm about what’s still waiting to be discovered at any age.

    Love is definitely on the menu in Bruce Karp’s play, LOVE AT THE EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. The characters each have unique personalities that are grounded from the start, and I’m rooting for them as much as I’m laughing at the comedy that’s filled with so much heart. I especially love how Bruce writes these characters with both respect for their years and enthusiasm about what’s still waiting to be discovered at any age.

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    There is so much power in photography to see what's captured beyond an image. And in DRIFTWOOD by Donald Loftus, there are such rich relationships and metaphors explored here through a camera and beyond one, too. As someone who also loves the artform, I really appreciated his skillful use of photography to collide with memory and form new meanings and interpretations. And the characters he's crafted here make us root for them at the same time as we challenge their past decisions.

    There is so much power in photography to see what's captured beyond an image. And in DRIFTWOOD by Donald Loftus, there are such rich relationships and metaphors explored here through a camera and beyond one, too. As someone who also loves the artform, I really appreciated his skillful use of photography to collide with memory and form new meanings and interpretations. And the characters he's crafted here make us root for them at the same time as we challenge their past decisions.

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    In THE KEEPER'S QUARTERS by Craig Houk, there's an exciting and sinister current that runs from the first page through the surprising conclusion. The dialogue is very fluid as it shifts through time periods where the characters put the pieces of a puzzle together that stretches across centuries. I also loved the setting of an old lighthouse that feels like a character itself, complete with its own secrets and desires. A play you'll definitely race to finish and imagine in your head long after.

    In THE KEEPER'S QUARTERS by Craig Houk, there's an exciting and sinister current that runs from the first page through the surprising conclusion. The dialogue is very fluid as it shifts through time periods where the characters put the pieces of a puzzle together that stretches across centuries. I also loved the setting of an old lighthouse that feels like a character itself, complete with its own secrets and desires. A play you'll definitely race to finish and imagine in your head long after.

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    I'm a huge sci-fi fan, especially when it's set in the past. And in DARK MATTER by Donald Loftus, it starts with such a wonderful slow burn of sharp comedy that builds into something deep and ominous moment by moment. The comedy turns dark in exciting ways and I also loved how this play casts a spotlight on midcentury gender dynamics as this couple figures out each other as well as those who are watching them.

    I'm a huge sci-fi fan, especially when it's set in the past. And in DARK MATTER by Donald Loftus, it starts with such a wonderful slow burn of sharp comedy that builds into something deep and ominous moment by moment. The comedy turns dark in exciting ways and I also loved how this play casts a spotlight on midcentury gender dynamics as this couple figures out each other as well as those who are watching them.

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    The moment I started reading this play, I knew it was incredibly special. In SYMBIOTIC by Baylee Shlichtman, the site of a jellyfish museum in Ukraine transforms 3 characters across time where friendship, war, grief and love reorganize themselves into an unforgettable story. There's so much poetry and beauty woven into dialogue and stage directions where the characters truly come alive and the relationships feel so vivid and real. Such a powerful play.

    The moment I started reading this play, I knew it was incredibly special. In SYMBIOTIC by Baylee Shlichtman, the site of a jellyfish museum in Ukraine transforms 3 characters across time where friendship, war, grief and love reorganize themselves into an unforgettable story. There's so much poetry and beauty woven into dialogue and stage directions where the characters truly come alive and the relationships feel so vivid and real. Such a powerful play.

  • John Mabey: Max's Room by Bruce Karp
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    It takes great skill to write about loss with deep understanding and empathy. And in MAX’S ROOM, Bruce Karp dramatizes one of the worst tragedies that parents can experience and still reveals the hope underneath. This play offers so many opportunities for performers and directors to navigate every beat with audiences for both a powerful and intimate theatrical experience. Well done!

    It takes great skill to write about loss with deep understanding and empathy. And in MAX’S ROOM, Bruce Karp dramatizes one of the worst tragedies that parents can experience and still reveals the hope underneath. This play offers so many opportunities for performers and directors to navigate every beat with audiences for both a powerful and intimate theatrical experience. Well done!

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  • John Mabey: It's Not What It Looks Like by Ava Love Hanna
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    We're taken on such a funny & fabulous journey in IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE by Ava Love Hannah. In this farce, the characters each have their own heightened game they play while interacting with each other and revealing new surprises along the way. The pacing was perfection too and this would be such a wonderful play to both direct and perform!

    We're taken on such a funny & fabulous journey in IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE by Ava Love Hannah. In this farce, the characters each have their own heightened game they play while interacting with each other and revealing new surprises along the way. The pacing was perfection too and this would be such a wonderful play to both direct and perform!

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  • John Mabey: Formica Pillow by Scott Sickles
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    Some stories create a whole world in just a few pages, and in the hands of Scott Sickles, an entire universe. And in the case of FORMICA PILLOW, a diner is the setting for this intimate and emotional journey where some characters might strangers but also know each other so very well. Sickles reveals these moments of discovery so expertly with a pacing that keeps you invested and intrigued from start to finish and beyond. I'm excited to revisit these characters again and again.

    Some stories create a whole world in just a few pages, and in the hands of Scott Sickles, an entire universe. And in the case of FORMICA PILLOW, a diner is the setting for this intimate and emotional journey where some characters might strangers but also know each other so very well. Sickles reveals these moments of discovery so expertly with a pacing that keeps you invested and intrigued from start to finish and beyond. I'm excited to revisit these characters again and again.

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  • John Mabey: Bovine Existential by Brian C Petti
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    This is such a delightful play that combines truly existential questions about life with comedy and heart, whether that heart is human or cow. At the core it’s also a wonderful play about friendship and survival in a difficult world where connection is key.

    This is such a delightful play that combines truly existential questions about life with comedy and heart, whether that heart is human or cow. At the core it’s also a wonderful play about friendship and survival in a difficult world where connection is key.

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