Recommended by John Mabey

Such a heartwarming and funny play, IMAGINARY FRIENDS by Enid Cokinos builds a world of interesting and engaging characters. Each is on their own path about life choices but intertwined in a charming story that could even be expanded into a one-act.

The inspiration for this play is incredible but the play itself is so much more. With unbelievable events taken from real life, Emily McClain has dramatized the story in creative and unexpected ways. WHEN CRANES CHA-CHA is such a delightful comedy and the best time you will ever have at the zoo. The fabulous story will have you engaged throughout and the wonderful characters will stay with you, too. I can't wait to see this staged!

This amazing play is beautiful and devastating in the best ways. An incredibly well-written and moving piece, Vince Gatton crafts a world of meaning and story in 10 minutes. THE OKTAVIST builds in intensity at a perfect pace and is both funny and dramatic in its authenticity. A play I'm sure to see performed live one day and I can't wait.

Halloween is such a wonderful inspiration for spooky tales and Jack Levine delivers laughs and frights in DEATH IS A BUMMER. A play that would work very well both on stage and virtually, it delightfully combines sci-fi as well for a real trick-and-treat. Extra bonus for wonderful witch-like poetry too!

This very funny dark comedy has such an original sci-fi premise that explains everything you’ve ever wondered about the way the world functions. A tall order for any playwright, but in the hands of Ken Preuss a fantastic play. EVERY SEVEN MINUTES delivers high laughs and fascinating characters who explore how much control we have over the choices we make and over ourselves.

Debbie Lamedman's MORE OF YOU is such an exquisite play about identity, love, and how we share ourselves with those who mean the most. Exploring viewpoints from a variety of perspectives, the play shifts in tone from the heartfelt to the fantastical, providing real-life context for its discoveries. There's so much to unpack throughout concerning self-awareness and gender dysphoria, and Debbie explores the many themes with acute insight and sensitivity. The end concludes with a beautiful reveal and how the different masks we all wear contribute to a greater understanding of ourselves and others...

Dialect and language are so important to the world of a play, and Vivian Lermond skillfully crafts both in the world of CROWLEY'S CORNER. Whether or not you have an ear for Irish pub conversations, you'll immediately feel connected to Dingle and immersed in the community. When an unexpected outsider collides with the locals, there's plenty of comedy and self-discovery in this play to entertain as well as inspire. And all with an Irish heart.

There's something so special and endearing about this play. Enid Cokinos skillfully writes with heart and so much comedy in CLARA THE CHRISTMAS TREE ANGEL. The dialogue will have you in stitches and the story itself will leave you incredibly satisfied. Both characters are incredibly relatable and distinct, and the playwright crafts a story in 10-minutes that is so full and complete. As the play closes, I'm left with both nostalgia for holidays past as well as excitement for the next - with newfound appreciation for ornaments.

This is such a beautiful play that reflects on our time in quarantine and the connections that still hold us together. In REPRISE, Ken Preuss brings us two finely crafted characters who’ve managed to create an even stronger bond after time apart. They offer hope for the ways in which we’ll still find each other, no matter the circumstances, and the power of theatre.

David Lipschutz has such a clever way of incorporating setting and occupation in unexpected and hilarious ways. And in MODUS OPERANDI there's a fantastic twist with very clever writing that will have you cheering. Nothing is ever truly as it seems in an interrogation room and each character here plays such a fun and essential role in the story. Another strength is the ability to cast with all genders in each role, providing even more options for diverse productions, too.