Recommended by Jack Levine

EDEN LANE’s full-length play, “A Charmed Life”, is a moving story. We watch Bea, an adopted daughter, deal with her mother’s dementia. But there is so much more. Bea’s mother is a transgender woman, who has struggled to be recognized for whom she is. We experience moments from her mother’s past, which shaped her and informed her. There is also the caregiver, who has a wonderful ‘awakening’. I absolutely loved this play. I strongly recommend it. BRAVO!!!

PAUL DONNELLY’s ten-minute play, “The Last Of Jack (One Act)”, has two gay men meeting for the first time in a bar. The conversation is awkward and somewhat unfriendly. Later, they met accidentally in a coffee shop. From there, a friendship slowly develops, as might happen in real life rather than what you might expect in a ‘storybook’ romance. Older actors will enjoy playing these wonderful characters.

SCOTT SICKLES’s full-length play, “The Philosopher’s Joke”, is a wonderful fantasy in which the younger version of three married couples get to ‘be’ their younger self but with the knowledge of what is in their future. Perceptions of what are the best choice in picking a partner at age twenty may prove to be a poor choice when viewed twenty years later. It’s a fascinating tale of ‘what-if’. I highly recommend this play!

KEN LOVE’s ten-minute play, “The Deal”, is a look at what prison might be like. Harsh, uncaring, horrible might be just three words that can describe the situation in a prison cell. This is a worthwhile read.

This play is a well-written reminder of the current political situation in America regarding the tactics of ICE Agents in rounding up ‘illegal aliens’. I found it a nice short piece, Good work, DEBRA A. COLE, for “Closed Door”.

This play is a mixture of pathos, retribution, deception. The two plots are beautifully woven together. KEN LOVE writes so well, providing his wonderful style of storytelling. “Ballad: A Two Character Play” will certainly evoke the type of reaction you’d want from an audience: To be moved, to be intrigued, to be entertained. BRAVO!

There’s so much to take in with this short play. A married man is seeking companionship, at least he thinks so, but his inner turmoil and strong feelings of rejection and resentment cannot easily be denied. In KEN LOVE’s short play, “Rendezvous”, a simple fling with a woman of the night, turns out to be more than might be expected.

The creation, growth, and destruction of a society is ultimately determined by the wants, needs and prejudices of its inhabitants. No matter what becomes the foundation, the rock, of the society, the people will eventually misuse and drain the life, the fire, from the institutions they built to make the society better for all. “Pyrolithos”, by GEORGIA XANTHOPOULOU, is a fascinating depiction of what can, and often does, happen in the history of civilizations. I highly recommend this play! BRAVO!

JAMES KELSEY NELSON’s full-length play, “Analysis Paralysis”, is a madcap, laugh out load, hold onto your seat, fun play with the kind of humor I love. You will need to fasten your seatbelt, get ready to laugh often, and keep busy trying to follow the antics of this no-holds-barred games night. I can imagine audiences really finding this witty play one of their favorites. I highly recommend it!

I want to highly recommend “The Rosies” by ALY KANTOR. Being a teenager is in itself hard. But, six girls have TB, and their choices are limited. I was totally engrossed in the play from beginning to end. Each character was ‘real’, in my mind’s eye, as it was so well-written. I think six talented young female actors will enjoy performing in this play. Bravo!