Recommended by John Mabey

Sometimes a play hits all the right notes with the perfect metaphors to match. In LACK OF MOISTURE, Debbie Lamedman uses both words and language in subtle, creative ways that make for a perfect reveal. And in exploring the nature of their marriage, this couple provides an exquisite snapshot into their broader lives that will have you thinking of them beyond the last page.

This is such a moving and tender play, unfolding and revealing itself with insights at the perfect moments. Alli Hartley-Kong skillfully writes with insight and empathy in THE GRAPE NERDS REUNION and it's a piece to both entertain and engage audiences.

In A TROUBLING STATE OF AFFAIRS, Jack Levine guides us through a heightened encounter that takes a turn you won't see coming. And with thrilling dialogue, strong characters, and an undercurrent of suspense, you'll enjoy every minute. This is a play I'd love to see unfold on stage.

A mystical encounter, great art, and a magical city. In AN AUTHENTIC REMBRANDT, D. Lee Miller combines these elements for a comedic and touching play about the search for answers starting with ourselves. Both characters are paired well and layered within themselves creating a rapport on stage that would be a delight for performers to explore and an audience to enjoy.

Coping with illness and death is difficult enough without bias making a horrible time even worse. In INTESTATE, Donald Baker presents a powerful and moving monologue during the early days of Covid-19 and a couple battling both the virus and discrimination. Told with insight and empathy, it's a piece that deserves to be performed as much as it needs to be understood.

This play is such an engaging and well-written story about connection and the surprises in store when we take a chance. The characters are fascinating and well-defined, while the use of sign language is both unique and natural to the piece as an element of the story. Culture is explored broadly in intersecting ways that feels incredibly fresh and lively, and the characters will live-on in your imagination long after the final line.

Maximillian Gill crafts such an amazing character in HOW DO YOU FALL OUT OF LOVE WITH COUNTRY MUSIC? that I can hear the words as I read - a character so rich with personality, natural dialogue, and subtext. And just when you think you know where the monologue is headed, it takes a turn and shifts to an even greater level, full of complexity and connection. A superb piece that deserves to be performed again and again.

Vivian Lermond writes powerful monologues that build suspense right until the end. And in CASE CLOSED, dark family secrets make for a chilling piece. This would be a wonderful monologue on stage or even on screen with all of its atmospheric delight.

This delightful play resonates with such romance and longing, complete with insightful plants. In BEST LAID PLAN(t)S, Donna Hoke crafts fascinating characters who commit and collide as they discover what they truly want. And the addition of talking plants makes for a truly unique play about sexuality and love in a world where labels don't always fit.

There is some wonderful bounty to discover in POETRY, PROSE, AND...PIRATES! Ken Preuss writes such clever and hysterical dialogue, and the pacing in this play is absolute perfection. Starting with a typical writers group, the cast of brilliantly drawn characters soon begin clashing in unexpected and hilarious ways. This high-energy play is incredibly entertaining throughout, giving performers so much rich material to explore online or on stage.