Recommended by Aly Kantor

This short has nostalgia all over it! For some, it will be nostalgia for the iconic imagery in The Shining. For others, it will be the nauseating nostalgia of an all-too-real interaction with IT! This is a twisted, sometimes charmingly campy sequel packed with laughs and sight gags that will delight Stephen King fans and newbies alike!

As a fan of the paranormal, the chaos surrounding the real Conjuring House in the modern day is my favorite drama, and this play is in conversation with all that delicious ridiculousness! It's dynamic, it's grounded, and it's wickedly funny! The legal scenario here isn't just set dressing, either - it's key to the brilliant semantic reversal that, I must admit, I DIDN'T see coming! Super silly, spooky fun... especially for those of us who follow supernatural investigators! A designer's dream!

Oh, what a gift this would be for an actor, with so much said without words before the dialogue even begins! And to me, the only trope I love more than "came back wrong" is "came back right" - that is done to absolutely gorgeous effect here, with an efficient play featuring a relationship that feels impossibly lived in and rich. Beautiful and melancholy in turns, I've never seen a play on The Monkey's Paw that was this gentle and kind. Lovely!

There is no quicker way to draw me in than with some earnest storytelling, and I was leaning forward from the first lines. After a few pages, I was leaning so far forward my nose was on the floor! Mandryk is a master of weaving a compelling, horrific yarn, using specific, sensory details to help create a sense of theatre of the mind WITHOUT sacrificing theatricality at all! The sound design potential is exciting AND horrific! And the final button? CHEF'S KISS! This is depraved and I loved it!!!

Yes, this country DOES need an old priest and a young priest! I think this play is so terrifying because there is so much truth at the core of it - and the truth is the scariest part (and yet there are a few laughs in there, too!). Syran has done an incredible job creating a tense, taut theatrical atmosphere that's heavy with suspense. Production teams would have a blast, but sound designers in particular would have an all-out FIELD DAY. I could see this becoming a fantastic audio drama, too!

This gang of old friends felt so much like my ragtag group of high school pals, I found myself feeling nostalgic on page one! Somehow, this play has all the charm of The Breakfast Club, tons of humor, and, RIGHT when you're getting comfy, tons of trope-filled, spectacular horror! Keeping it off-stage was genius. I also love the role that the "rules of horror" play in the end! Definitely a creepy play that leaves you asking "what comes next?" which means the ending is exactly what it needs to be!

Goofy, silly, Halloween fun, with a little theology and existential dread thrown in for good measure! These two roommates are a spectacular odd couple, full of quirks and tangents to surprise and delight any audience. I'm amazed by how Sam managed to weave in some of the deep, dark themes of Dracula in a play that is ultimately a delightful comedy! Whether you dress up or not, you're going to have a blast reading this one!

God forbid a woman do anything! Who is REALLY trapped in this haunted homestead, Ellie or her doomed ex-paramours? I love the way this play humorously and horrifically reveals patriarchal double standards with so much spooky theatricality, feeling simultaneously modern (trad wives and dating profiles!) and retro (1950s housewife aesthetic). It's active, consistently surprising, and the ending is honestly the scariest part! This is both an actor's and designer's dream... and an audience treat!

Boone, I could listen to you read the phone book! Luckily, I don't have to, because John Busser has given this beloved character another tale to share, with the playwright's signature specificity, wit, and laugh-out-loud lines that will have you doing a "did I just hear what I thought I heard?" double-take! This irreverent piece leverages the inherent theatricality of storytelling to fabulous effect, keeping the audience leaning forward. Come for the fantastic conclusion, stay for the hog bit!

This is a delicious ouroboros of a play that serves up just about EVERYTHING but what you're expecting, and just when you feel grounded in the world, it sends you crashing into a tree to reconnoiter! I love the raw theatricality of this piece, giving us insight into what is said and what is unsaid, helping us put the pieces together that could potentially spare these poor characters their unfortunate fate. It's uniquely engaging and profoundly disarming, hilarious and existential in turns!