Recommended by Jack Levine

MONICA CROSS’s play explores the basic human need to have companionship. A lonely woman misses her partner and close friends, who have passed away. A robot seems at first to be an unmanageable technical nuisance as the woman is not ‘in-tune’ with ‘technical stuff’. Yet, loneliness needs someone (or ‘thing’) and a robot may be a viable option. “Robots and Raindrops” is a lovely, sentimental play of the ‘poetry of life’. A poem can be enjoyed by reading it. But, when shared with someone you love, a poem becomes a connection, a shared passion. Such a nice play!

STEVEN G. MARTIN captures the incongruity of how people act when they are about to be shown for the first time an art piece for which they came to see. One might expect great anticipation, in-depth talk of what the artist might have painted, and the dramatic buildup to the unveiling. In “An Appreciation”, we find politicians talking about bills and their own publicity, patrons lamenting the wine chosen, and others totally engrossed in anything but what they are supposedly excited to enjoy. When the art piece is unveiled, everybody reacts as if there are no shades of gray. Beautiful.

RACHAEL CARNES’play, “AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, A Play for Videoconference”, made me laugh out loud, question whether or not I might be acting like these characters after all this isolation, and realize zaniness may have become the new normal at least for 2020. I love this play!

SCOTT SICKLES has written a play which truly moved me. An 8-year-old speaks the truth of what he feels deep inside after he had to reject his best friend because of his own father’s homophobia. The words of the young boy are spoken to his sleeping mother - as a cry for help to understand what can only be described as child abuse. “Not Exactly A Lullaby (A Monologue) is a must-read, because we all need to know the power of a parent’s beliefs on their child. Prejudice is taught. Bullying is not right. Love is the answer.

MATTHEW WEAVER’s play is a very clever way of describing the ‘nothingness’ or the ‘everything’ of life from which a playwright can find a story, characters, dialogue, and a plot. ‘Be In The Moment’ are important words to remember to truly appreciate and understand that life is full of events, random or connected, Big and small, meaningful or not, which can be the ‘food for thought’ to create the work of art of a playwright.

JOHN BUSSER’s new play is a timely, fun and witty spoof of a murder in the North Pole and Santa being the prime suspect. “The Shelf On The Elf: A Brick Fistula Mystery” was enjoyable to read and had me laughing out loud. I think this would be a real fun play to do. I would love to be one of the actors. I certainly would love to watch this play be performed. Oh, what fun it would be!

ADAM EUGENE HURST’s play, “Matthew Three Horn”, is witty, informative, and entertaining. Actors will love to perform in this play (as I can personally attest), and audiences will thoroughly enjoy watching. Adam has written a play for young and old alike which addresses bullying.

JACQUELYN FLOYD-PRISKORN’s play is funny, interesting, and wild. A slow day at the Elk Moon Cafe turns into something worthy of a three-ring circus of comedy, ghosts, and a possible romantic relationship. “Coffee House Boos” is a hoot to read, a bit romantic if you can overlook any ghosts and the British host who seeks them for a story, and a laugh out loud zaniness I love to read.

MIKE SOLOMONSON has written a very sweet play which will pull at your heartstrings. In “Special Delivery”, we find out that the love and caring one feels towards their spouse can be continued after they die. We all need to know we are special to the one we most love. This play offers the ‘ingredients’ to change one’s sadness and loneliness into hope and healing.

PHILIP MIDDLETON WILLIAMS has written a sweet play of what we might feel and say in the afterlife. Time has no meaning. Answers to questions may not be forthcoming. But the simple pleasures, like a peach, can remind spirits of the pleasures one should have enjoyed while they lived their lives. “Another Park, Another Sunday” tells a message of the beauty of life, which we should embrace each day.