Recommended by Joe Swenson

The nicknames, the liveliness of the narrator and Theo's enthusiasm as he tells the story are entertaining to say least. Also, who wouldn't want a Celtic Warrior Princess defending themselves from the bullies out there like Barney. Fantastic monologue!

Escalation Theory in playwriting is designed to start of slow with a steady heartbeat and then one item or person is added, then another item or person is added and each of these items bring something different until the cacophony of escalation becomes to much for us to perceive. This is what Andela is. The play of course. Andela the character? No idea. It's a lot of fun, great characters, excellent arch, and would be a wonder to direct/act in. I was left wanting the show to go on. Brilliant work Jacquelyn!

Christopher Plumridge has outdone himself in this short play. He's taken exotic coffee, inuendoes, a first date of sorts, a cat, some yelling, some more coffee, the desires adults often have and he's thrown them all together into a this smorgasbord of humor. Chris also toes the line, careful not to completely cross in the carefully built relationship of Cathy and Ian. It's hilarious and brilliant. Highly recommend!

Had the privilege of seeing Greg Lam’s show at Portland Stage Company. The set was incredible, the acting equally amazing. This play has such an awareness to it. Evoking emotions and conveying ideals that are transformative and unexpected while also being nostalgic and bringing about an awakening. Lam also paints a futuristic society that seems to be as flawed as our current society but in different and unexpected ways. For me the genius in the play wasn’t the overt race reversal it was the subtle ripple effects of societal norms slightly adjusted. Brilliant play!

The best. Daniel Prillaman encapsulates a brilliant piece of art regarding the use of shrooms. Is Tripp-sitting a real thing, because if it's not... What's really great is Daniel's ability to weave in real life relatable items, like stress from work, underage drinking, with fantastic timing, misdirect, and humor. It's fun play, now off to read the rest of the series.

When I grow up, I want to be able to write like Scott Sickles does. I got about 75% through the play and I started thinking about the title and how it was metaphorical towards a simpler time, where everyone had to fit into these compartmentalized boxes to make things cost less, like love for example. In true Sickles fashion, he adds another layer and another element to the title with the $5 bill. More than anything, it's the reveal, the way Scott cloaks something in one shade while he reveals the genuine parts in another shade. Amazing play!

Nora Louse Syran captures the essence of two travelers heading in the same direction, but directionally heading in different directions. I found conceptually that this story really delivers a strong set-up and massive twist where Nora delivers one last set-up and then absolutely crushes the audience with Canadians reality. The monologue that the Canadian delivers is an important message for everyone. I love it. I loved this show. Anytime a show can make you involuntarily emote, it's a winner. This show is great.

Trauma gets you in different ways and everyone reacts differently. It’s akin to chaos and DC Cartho establishes a moment with Joan that will resonate with a wide variety of audiences.

This short play starts innocently enough, establishing how the world has changed through the eyes of a game. It also shows you that you don’t know when your safe space will evaporate into a dangerous situation psychologically speaking.

Another highly recommended show in the DC Cartho Literary Universe or DCCLU for short!

I love the ending. In Frank McGuiness’ play “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me,” there’s a moment where Edward is trying to get a ride out of Michael by telling him a story about a hitchhiker who doesn’t reveal the contents of his bag and leaves it behind before getting to a checkpoint. I felt the same way about Randy’s backpack as I did the rucksack in that play.

DC has a way to bring characters to life in your heart and once again DC’s establishes an incredible relationship between Randy and Rod. Great Play!

This one is going to sit with me for a while. DC Cartho does an amazing job of building identifiable characters in the Officer, Dewey, and even Dewey’s sister. This short piece has it all, tension, complex emotion, establishment of high stakes, characters that you root for, etc.

Woven into the last part of this short play is the recipe to come out of isolation with an ice-breaker of sorts. Naturally with a DC Cartho short play, you don’t want it to end. I get the same about this one. Brilliant!