Recommended by John Mabey

Ken Preuss is one of my favorite writers, and his work always entertains. In TAKING SUM LUMPS, he combines an exciting premise with hilarious dialogue and characters you want to see again in new adventures. This award-winning play works incredibly well both in-person and virtually, and such a delight for performers to explore.

Charles Scott Jones has written such a witty and engaging farce in GOONY BIRD HAT. It's both absurdist and literary, making me think, smile, and laugh throughout. For performers it would be a delight to inhabit this world, for directors a rare piece to explore and heighten in an 18th century context, and for audiences a truly unique experience to immerse themselves in the fantastical pageantry.

OL' JACK is a touching slice of life that offers an insightful glimpse into the lives of those we come into contact with often, but don't always see. John Kelly has crafted a piece with much richness and beauty for a broader cast of characters that we don't meet but still imagine even after the play ends.

Emily McClain is a phenomenal writer and masterful at crafting a story that's both incredibly entertaining and emotionally true. In ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME? we meet a couple with very different histories and backgrounds and very much in love. When an unexpected opportunity arises, it raises issues not only about those backgrounds but also what they mean for each other and for themselves. Important elements such as sexuality, gender, and family are all explored with heart and comedy, too, making this a play to remember.

I had the joy of watching this piece come alive at the festival, and DC Cathro deserves every accolade. SO I WAS VISITING DAD ON HIS BIRTHDAY... is such a unique play in its exploration of loss and mental health. It's rare for a play between two strangers to provide such instant rapport between the characters, and it's a credit to DC's skillful writing. Through his understand of mourning and the power of connection, he's able to also infuse the play with levity and hope.

Elisabeth Giffin Speckman captures such poignant and magical moments in BARTLEBY & BESS. The opening monologue is funny with such complexity and heart, and the final moments full of hope and promise. A wonderful short piece that will have you rooting for the characters at the same time as you're identifying with their anxieties and anticipations.

Dan Taube has crafted such a delicate and nuanced story into one minute. In RECKONING, there's ample space between the lines for both performers and an audience to interpret and explore. And with hints of the broader world between mother and son, plenty of conversation afterward about its meanings.

John Minigan writes characters with such personality and unique voice, and in this comedy they'll have you laughing to death, too. A DATELESS BARGAIN WITH ENGROSSING DEATH is an incredibly fun two-hander between the role of death and a programmer, both having something that the other needs. And as the story develops, both explore their relationship and vie for the upper hand until the last page. A devilishly fun short play that would be great fun to see on stage.

THE LONG HAUL is a wonderful monologue with levels of humor, drama, and the anxiety that surrounds us as we distance from each other. And In D. Lee Miller's skillful hands, a poignant reminder of our continued struggles that we share even when apart.

D. Lee Miller skillfully writes with empathy and a broad understanding of long-term marriage. In THE FERRIS WHEEL we meet a couple across the lifespan who encounter both joy and pain, tied together by the metaphor of the wheel itself. Beautiful work.