Recommended by Jack Levine

There is a passion and intensity of the best reporters that make them want to honestly report the news despite the hardships. We need those people to have a democracy. Yet, these people have lives of their own, with families, fears, and frustrations. “It Couldn’t Happen Here - A Script In A Day” is truly a thought provoking piece. Bravo to ALICE JOSEPHS.

Sometimes you want to laugh at the absurdity of the many, many tragedies caused by too many crazy people killing innocent victims, as depicted in this satire. Yet, ADAM RICHTER’s one-minute play makes you wonder how our society has so much gun violence. It’s truly mind boggling. “A Day In The News”, in some form, is probably happening at kitchen tables more often than we care to admit.

We sometimes want so say something or do something, but our fears of rejection or humiliation keep us from doing it. The irony of the situation may be that the person with whom we want to interact but don’t, may have the same desire as us. MARCIA EPPICH-HARRIS says so much with so few words in “Once Upon A Train (A One-Minute Play”.

I was totally engrossed as I read CINDI SANSONE-BRAFF’s powerful play, “My Struggle”. The horrors of the Nazi’s concentration camps were beyond belief. Starvation, cruel treatment, pain, and despair were a part of the daily routine of the poor souls of the Jewish faith who were captured and brought to these hell holds. Death cane to six million plus men, women, and children, whose ‘crime’ was being a Jew. Living with the horrible memories was the ultimate cruelty. This play is a gem!

This monologue is powerful and thought provoking. As a seventy-seven year old straight male, I confess to my lack of fully understanding what a gay person has to endure. I have heard and read stories, but unless you ‘have walked in someone’s shoes’ the reality can never be truly known. I love stories that enlighten, like this marvelous monologue. We all need to better understand and fight against the horrible treatment of any one of our fellow human beings. “Dad And Uncle Mark (Who Was Not Really My Uncle)” is beautifully written. Bravo to Donald E. Baker!

ROBERT WEIBEZAHL’s “Broken Glass - A Monologue” brought me back to the time I served in the Army during 1968-1969. Luckily, I was in South Korea and didn’t see any action. But I did know of friends who unfortunately did end up in Vietnam. I say this only to point out that this monologue had a lot of meaning for me. This is a beautifully written piece with so-much said in a couple of pages. Well-done!

ROBERT LEBLANC’s play, “Familiar”, is powerful, beautiful, sad, endearing, and a must-read and watch on stage or online. I saw this play produced and it was wonderful. I highly recommend this play!

MAXIMILLIAN GILL tackles some critical issues in his brilliantly conceived ten-minute play, “Bottle Episode”. Climate change, waste and recycling, dependency on others are subtext to this witty play. I love the use of inanimate objects to tell a most-human story.

IRWIN HAHN writes plays, which are witty, wonderful, and wild. I read this play and watched it performed, and I was laughing out loud from beginning to end. “Use Only As Directed” encapsulates all the things we could read on a prescription label (if we actually did that) and does it in a “Irwin-Hahn-Style”. Great work by a super playwright! I highly recommend this play for your reading pleasure. It definitely needs to be produced over and over so as many audience members can enjoy it as much as I did. Bravo!

GREG VOVOS has written an interesting play. Sometimes we seek a connection with someone for one reason but find out there is something else we need more. We are treated to a nice piece of work in “An Interview With A George”.