Recommended by Morey Norkin

Imagine “Close Encounters” meets “Deliverance” meets “Borat.” As weird and funny as that might sound, you have to turn it up several notches to reach John Busser’s level of hilarity. Alien dad jokes and plot twists galore. John Busser has boldly gone where no playwright has gone before, but hopefully theaters will go along for the ride!

Dudes, you have to read this! I’m not into video or role playing games at all, but this is a laugh riot. Stage combat like you’ve never seen. A sweet little old lady with a dude harem. Have a cookie and enjoy!

The character David is described as “a good man facing an unspeakable horror.” And that is clearly true. Yet even as we come to know the truth of that horror, Darrin Friedman offers David, and us, comfort with the presence of Agnes. This play is simply (though nothing simple about writing something so extraordinary) beautiful and comforting. I often sit in a park and watch the ducks and herons. I think this play will be on my mind as I enjoy the scenery.

Now I’m disturbed! Deb Cole takes a situation that occurs too often and presents it with all its maddening frustration. Who wouldn’t be tempted to take extreme measures? That, and the laws that allow this kind of situation in the first place, are prime topics for follow up discussions. Make it happen!

Cats! Cats in space! A cat that talks like a pirate! And a famous fast-food sandwich that I still occasionally indulge in! What more could you ask for?! How about bad puns and song lyrics? And tucked within all the fun goofiness, is an important lesson in kitty care and one for human self care. I’m lovin’ it!

Timing in life and in theater can be everything, and Paul Donnelly demonstrates this to perfection in THE LAST OF JACK. Perhaps if Don and Mick had met at a different time under different circumstances, their stories might have changed. Through their early chance encounters, Donnelly allows their relationship, or lack of one, to develop at a deliberate pace. We truly get to know these two men and the obstacles they face. Much as we may want the perfect happy ending, Donnelly provides something more believable and still satisfying. A beautiful story of aging, loneliness, and the search for connection.

I want, no I DEMAND to see this on stage with Jacquie Floyd playing Jacquie Floyd! Ok, I’ll settle for an audio production. Rachel Feeny-Williams serves up another tense crime drama with her trademark twists and turns. Can’t wait for the production!

My first Dawn Branch play and I’m a fan! The writing is outstanding; at times hysterically funny and at times deeply moving because of the near hysteria of the scene. Elle’s anxiety knows no bounds and Nora’s tough love (emphasis on the love) provides a counterpoint that lets the pace rise and fall in a natural rhythm. Both characters are fully drawn and are so relatable. I would love to see a performance!

If anyone can make human sacrifice funny, it’s Jacquie Priskorn. Here we have the sacrificial human trying to convince the members of a bizarre sect that offering her to their deity isn’t much of a sacrifice for them personally. Their responses are hilarious, and the ending caught me completely off guard. If there’s a lesson maybe it’s don’t follow others blindly, especially with a dirty blindfold. Props and tech will have a field day with this one!

An extraordinary monologue. Remarkable insight. With the intellect of Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Kenneth Clark, and a sensibility all her own, Nora Louise Syran explores the unique place we each occupy in this ever-expanding universe. And how lucky are we to be in her orbit.