Recommended by John Mabey

I worked in academia for many years and there's a culture of support for students as well as a results-driven approach for managing as many as possible in already overcrowded classrooms. And as professors struggle with a balance between their own research and teaching, priorities often collide. In BLINDED, we meet a new adjunct faculty more than twice the age of the student tech there to assist. Ross Tedford Kendall writes these characters with insight and depth, providing room for surprises and growth. And with an ending that propels the story forward, shifting priorities toward goals far more important.

G'Oy Vey! by David Lipschutz is a zoom play you won't want to end. There's a cast of 7 who expertly enter and exit at the perfect moments while keeping the energy high and the laughs strong. David takes the premise of a couple on their first date to new heights and uses the zoom setting as such a strength within the story. A fabulous one-act with so many developed characters who could spin-off into a new world of plays as well.

Jonathan Cook crafts such a magical, touching, and thrilling tale in MEMENTO MORI. A photographer with a hidden talent gets the biggest surprise as he reanimates a deceased girl with a secret of her own. Cook navigates masterfully between the more joyful moments into the tragic and back again, all within a short piece. The pacing is perfect and with an ending that will leave you satisfied but thinking about the characters long after. It's clear why this play has received so many productions and awards as well.

This is a story that really gave me chills and left me shaken. In SNIPER by Joe Swenson we meet a trio of soldiers, more than one with a secret, and speaks to so many issues including sexuality, identity, military culture, and trust. The playwright's background as a Marine Veteran adds special significance to the dialogue and story as well. Although fictional characters, the implications of these events are huge and bravo to the playwright for writing about hidden corners of life that are rarely seen.

Selling jewelry can be a complex transaction, but in HOCKING MURRAY, George Sapio delivers a bombshell. With grieving and loss there's usually room for dark humor, and this play navigates the perfect balance between both while also asking even bigger questions about morality. And we're left to answer the biggest question of how to let go of those we've lost as we decide what (or whom) to wear.

PLAYING WITH FIRED takes you on a wonderful emotional journey in the most unlikely of places. Steven Hayet's background in business also adds such rich layers of truth and authenticity to the characters as they navigate both career and self. Such a unique holiday play that deserves to be seen again and again.

Perfect for the holiday season, NORTH POLE NOIR is an amazing tale with beloved characters as you’ve never seen them before. The noir genre is a great backdrop for this highly comedic and extremely clever story from Patrick Gabridge, and I’m eagerly waiting for the next case involving Harvey the Elf.

In ICE IS NICE, Vivian Lermond gives new meaning to 'making the catch of your life.' A wonderfully romantic scene with the perfect bait and characters to warm you through the cold nights.

What a funny twist on the holiday season! In this dark comedy, James McLindon shows us another side to Santa's workshop and a truly unique elf with existential despair. JOYEUX NOEL will have you laughing, pondering, and appreciating the French in delightful and devastating ways.

Getting ready for Xmas has never been so fun and intense as with Coach Holly in XTREME XMAS BOOT CAMP. Peter Dakutis will put you through a laughter workout with a fast-talking, acerbic, anti-jolly coach unlike any you've met. I look forward to the future adventures of this coach as well!