Recommended by David Lipschutz

11/29/2024. Holy cow! OLLY OLLY OXEN FREE is how you do horror on stage. Playwright Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn really has a knack for how to build tension. What begins as a fairly innocent game of tag turns sinister at epic proportions. I caught this with Bump In The Night Theatre's Jump Scares festival, where I was sitting in the back row, biting away my nails in fear and anticipation!

11/29/2024. BARBARIAN packs a huge punch in such a short window of time. Daniel Prillaman has created a deeply intricate and gory world (something I don't think I've ever seen or read in a ten-minute play). I was lucky enough to catch a production of it with Bump In The Night Theatre's Jump Scares festival.

11/29/2024. Can a play give you claustrophobia? Turns out it can! A LOT OF TIME TO THINK is an impeccably written psychological thriller by Cole Hunter Dzubak. I had the joy of being a terrified audience member seeing this play at Bump In The Night Theatre's Jump Scares festival.

11/29/2024. To say that I had the pleasure of seeing MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS with Palos Village Players would be an understatement. This wonderful play by Dana Hall is heartwarming and funny, and it is destined to become a holiday classic.

11/28/2024. AFIKOMAN is a beautiful and heartfelt play about a Jewish family at Passover. Playwright Sam Heyman has written with care and understanding about the holiday and has brought to life smart, honest characters. The ending is sweet and makes you feel all the feels. Oh, and a Manischewitz hangover sounds like literally the worst thing ever!

JOYLAND is a smart and delightfully witty play by Karen Saari that deftly deals with AI, animatronics, and corporate culture. I had the pleasure of seeing this performed with Ludington Area Center for the Arts.

FIVE MILES LONG, TWO HUNDRED FEET HIGH is a beautiful two-hander by Maripat Allen. Audience members and readers alike should experience the journey these characters take across the Mackinaw Bridge. I love how rich and respectful the play is to Michigan as we follow two people - one from the lower peninsula and one from the U.P.

BEAR BAITING is an emotionally powerful play by Anna Tatelman. It follows two complex characters in longtime friends Dylan and Steve. I was lucky to see a workshop production at the Mid-America Theatre Conference.

FREE TREADMILL is flipping hilarious! It's short, chaotic, and very funny. I want to ask how Christopher Soucy came up with this wild premise, but honestly, audiences/readers can relate to both Murray and Shelly and their current situation.

Wow, Dana Hall's prose is immensely powerful and moving (as it always is). UNWRAPPED is an incredible play about grief and battling addiction (as well as struggling seeing a loved one battle addiction), all set with what is normally a happy and joyous backdrop of the holidays. This is a must-read and must-see play.