Recommended by Joe Swenson

I loved this sad little monologue and wished I had known Othello19 when it was a new robot. Without adding emotion to the monologue Lee R. Lawing relies on the reader/audience to supply the emotion. The isolation, end of purpose designed by Lawing is heart wrenching and you wish for a different ending. Veiled in this play is the overarching theme of global warming and Lawing never addressed it directly but instead provides stark reminders through the passage of time. Brilliant work!

George Sapio’s 2-hander has all the required elements of a great short play. Excellent characters in a unique situation. A series of escalations putting more at stake as the show gets deeper and deeper. Finally a strategically placed button just when you forgot the safe word. Excellent play. Highly recommend.

Incredible! The humanizing effort of abuse in any form is itself artfully purposeful. Dana Hall could’ve left the characters two dimensional and this story would have enough elements to impact. But Claire, Ima, and Mark are three dimensional, fully developed characters. Hall makes you root for each one and against each one uniquely as the story moves.

Woven throughout this show is an incredible poem that speaks to the power potential of those who have been abused. It’s stunning and relevant. I root for Claire and Ima! I always wonder what happens to Mark. I want more! Brilliant!

Michael C. O’Day’s “Gun Safe” is a must read. Parent teacher conferences will never be the same. O’Day touches on so many different tensions throughout this show as he takes and manipulates our biases against us. O’Day also skillfully maneuvers through nerding out (Yellowstone super volcano, specific safe models) and machismo bravado as Father shows Teacher the workings of self-defense, gun safety, etc. Fantastic work Michael, highly recommend.

There’s an authenticity you strive for in a play. Authenticity in situations, authentically delivered characters, emotions, dialogue. George Sapio absolutely delivers based on the characters he built. There’s plenty of comedy, and in that humor you find reasons to root for these characters. The thing I kept coming back to throughout the reading of this play was how natural all of the dialogue felt despite the situations the characters were put in. Excellent work George!

A fantastic piece about two comedians. One on their way out, one still finding their way. Morey Norkin does such a wonderful job making Jackie and Jennifer three dimensional. In addition, Morey, puts so many tension driven situations into this often funny, often serious one act. Even the plays set-up blends these concepts. Fun read, would love to see live.

Wow Jarred! There is so much to unpack. This is absolutely amazing and so heartbreaking. This playwright is so incredibly talented and I am now a huge fan! The characters, Javier, Marla, Vincent, Janelle, and Ian are so believable as are the supporting characters. "But to the people who feel like insulting me and everyone else: we walk our school hallways and breathe in the scent of blood and death of our friends. You? You don’t scare us." This line, it says so much and is devastatingly accurate, full of emotion and reality. Thank you for writing this.

Doctor Disorder is a character that is fun, complicated, and seemingly ready for retirement. I see Doctor Disorder and Captain Vigor entering a retirement home for superheroes and supervillains together and talking of their long battles over power. An interesting dynamic popped up that I hadn't realized before, most supervillains likely have college degrees, most heroes don't. Perhaps it's just a coincidence. Great writing Christopher!

So much fun and Soucy adds a dash of self-doubt, a hint of an alter-ego that is in a less than desirable situation. Captain Vigor isn't saying that he's tired of being a superhero, but it's in what he isn't saying that should have the "city" concerned about future happenings regarding Villains. On to the next monologue!

Wow. This is brilliant. The awkward purpose filled pacing of the show is in itself a metaphor to the life of Luca Levi. Corona weaves you through reality and delusion so deftly and does it without a safety net for the protagonist. Within it all though, the playwright within the script is portrayed in a way that champions and also makes you question your own mind when creating. I have to see this produced live.