Recommended by Joe Swenson

What an awesome show. I had the privilege to read this as part of Page to Stage Pipeline, which showcases many of Delvyn's show. I could see this a multi-generational effort, utilizing the same or similar dialogue and encapsulating prejudicial reactions by the audience. This is also a great show in that it requires the actors to act. There isn't any clever or nuanced dialogue, it's a showcase of acting and within that the writer lets the actor go where they will naturally. Bravo Delvyn.

What a fantastic show by the incomparable Rachel Feeny-Williams. Brilliantly crafted to expose the sham that is fairytale endings by telling the story just after. As a reader you become stuck between the pathos of Charming and the independence of Princess. Rachel hits you hard with some really important truths about relationships along the way, including the cyclical nature. Really great show by a fantastic playwright.

“What is time?” Hannah Lee DeFrates asks this in her description of time. This play messes with your mind from the outset. Just when you think the resolution justifies the curiosity, Hannah takes a sharp malignant object and thrusts it violently into that thought and then really sends you reeling as the siblings celebrate the prophecy. Wow. I love a show that bursts through the limits of expectation only to turn around and slap you in the face or stab you in the neck. Amazingly inventive show. Great work Hannah.

The artistry of playwriting is on full display in Marj O’Neill-Butler’s two-hander. The dutiful husband absent from his wife’s side, the meddling mother-in-law who desires to see a live birth. Seems predictable except that these two are in the waiting room for two different births. Excellent characters, surprising escalations, and bonding over transparency with each other. Mark’s show is fantastic. Highly recommend.

Hannah Lee DeFrates attempts what most writers want to do, keeping the story alive. In this case it’s really about growing up, but through the eyes of familiar characters. Ultimately the play arrives at loyalty, friendship, and the feeling of time slipping away. It’s a beautiful two-hander and I highly recommend this play.

In this short dramatic play that has dark humor sprinkled throughout, playwright Hannah Lee DeFrates takes you on an incredible ride. A ride that unexpectedly resolved in the final few lines of the play only to reveal, love. This is a show that required to be read twice to truly soak in the genius behind Hannah’s incredible play. Highly recommend and hope to see this is selected at festivals throughout the world.

Christopher Plumridge strikes again with The Bear monologues. Once again a hoot. No real concept of time, Plumridge takes us to 1982 where The Bear is both hero and villain, scary and saintly, and in turn a codger (in ideal) and a knight. There are trademark aspects of these monologues woven in, the visual interpretation creates a wonderful set, but Christopher's best work is how he immerses the reader/audience into experiencing nearly all of your senses tickled throughout this monologue. Menacing yet altruistic, the vampire bear strikes again, this time out of heroic sentiment. Well done! Well done indeed!

First of all, amazingly imaginative premise. If you’re looking for rich characters, limitless imagination, and a well structured plot, then I highly recommend this show. I had so much fun imagining Dyson and Ethel as many different fictional characters and Samantha Marchand does a wonderful job of allowing this through each of the”things.” Would love to see this on its feet. Great show.

The ambiance of the hotel alone is enough to set the mood in Caitlin Strom-Martin's play that is as much about relationship as it is about ghost stories. Ruth and Amy are drawn out very convincingly as representation from two different eras. Ruth with her need to for normalcy and Amy with her traumatic childhood. If you're looking for a good ghost story with strong thematic architecture, then this is a great play to read. I would love to see this show staged or filmed!

The escalation throughout the script was fantastic. Jacquelyn does a great job creating an excellent relationship that maintains its excellence and authenticity as it evolves right up to the end. Living a small house with one bathroom would drive any newlywed couple mad and Jacquelyn keeps the madness at arms length, though you get the feeling that there could be more. Great show. Can't wait for the sequel where they come out of their secret lairs, both unshaven, both starved for affection... Well it's not my show, it's Jacquelyn's and I highly recommend!