Recommended by Sheila Rinear

  • TEACH
    3 May. 2019
    What an intense, clever, and impacting script. Donna Hoke takes us to school and teaches some powerful lessons...some of them are taught simply through Hoke's magical use of theatricality [ the gender fluidity]. I found it really intriguing how the existential world of the school is a lab for the chem teacher/principal to run his experiment. This is such good work and such a great story. I'd love to see it in production.
  • The PlayMakers
    14 Feb. 2019
    In The PlayMakers, Julie Zaffarano's clever story concept and non-stop wit are pure joy. When I read it, it moved at such a fast-pace (except when I stopped for belly-laughs) and I totally understand why it's winning awards and productions. Congratulations, Julie Zaffarano! This is a true gem.
  • The Calling
    1 Dec. 2018
    This story starts in what feels like a familiar venue but Joel Stone steers it masterfully into an unexpected arena of terror and fear. And he does it with such real emotion that not only do the characters' demons show up, but their humor also bleeds through. This is a fast-paced male two-hander that makes for a riveting performance.
  • Apple Season
    28 Nov. 2018
    In Apple Season Ellen Lewis creates with her signature elegance, 3 tender and damaged yet strong and determined characters. How Lissie is driven to do what she must do to be free resonates so appropriately with the #MeToo impact. Ellen's script is an Actor's dream as her clear and concise dialogue makes rich artistic suggestion of characterization without imposition. It was a joy to read such a beautifully crafted script.
  • Monroe
    2 Sep. 2018
    Monroe is one of the most amazing plays I've read in a long time. While set in 1946 Louisiana, it totally resonates with today's Black Lives Matter concerns. This is a beautiful, character-driven play in which the dramatic rise in suspense is so subtly crafted that Lisa Thompson now takes her place in my heart as a master Dramatist. The final scene between Cherry and Viola is killer breath-taking. I am so glad this is getting a production. Many more will follow, I am sure.
  • 2 B or Nah: Sexting Hamlet: A 10-Minute Play
    27 Aug. 2018
    This hilarious romp that actually captures the core of Hamlet's story is SO. MUCH. FUN. Latham's spot-on contemporary dialogue harmonizes amazingly well with Shakespeare's text. I want to see it staged. Non-stop laughs; few to no production requirements; great roles... What's not to like?
  • Branwell (and the other Brontes): an autobiography edited by Charlotte Bronte
    24 Aug. 2018
    Stephen Kaplan's play is brilliant in so many ways. It's theatricality is astounding and doable. The pacing, like the Bronte novels that dare you to be able to put them down because you've got to know "what's next," made this an amazingly fast read. The credible, clever characters displaying their annoyance with and acceptance of each other make clear where the inspiration for the iconic characters in their novels came from. Kaplan's simplicity of style and seamless structure deliver a great story where nineteenth century sociological issues totally resonate with today's. I highly recommend this script for reading and production.
  • A Real Boy
    19 Aug. 2018
    Stephen Kaplan has written a wonderfully imaginative, witty, and poignant story that is a parable about how significant adults who are responsible for child-rearing can usurp each others' responsibilities, claiming the legal right to do so. Stephen's use of puppets heightens his stab at just whose narrow-minded self-righteousness makes puppets out of whom. This is a well-written script that not only tells a story of what ultimately impacts a child's self-image, but it also makes the reader and audience ask questions of themselves that demand honest answers.
  • Matawan
    6 Aug. 2018
    How Dan Caffrey could create so succinct a plot that is as epic in its various and intertwined stories as say, an E.L.Doctorow novel, is nothing short of amazing. Dan's simplicity of style, dialogue, and the appearance of () is brilliant. I was curious to read this script since my husband was born and raised in Matawan where they still tremble at the mention of the 1916 appearance of a Great White. I loved this play for the way Dan handled the anticipation/suspense/characterizations and impact. I can't wait to see its upcoming production!
  • Arsonist
    29 Mar. 2018
    This play, in all its sweetness and pain, is such a moving tribute to a father and daughter's love. The austere context makes the warmth of their human partnership so accessible. Nicely done, Jacqueline Goldfinger.

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