Recommended by Morey Norkin

Having completed the existing series of Bear monologues, I can heartily recommend them all! But let me take each one in turn. This first episode (I’m hoping this will be a long-running series) is probably the most dramatic as it is set against a harrowing WWII backdrop. But the Bear, like all good Teddy Bears, is a calming influence and even manages to leave us with a laugh. From the imagination of Chris Plumridge, this Bear is truly a necessity!

Deb Cole pulls no punches in Stork Patrol as she shines a spotlight on the hypocrisy of the “pro-life” movement. Razor sharp commentary on the consequences of overturning Roe v Wade. Way to go, Deb!

Hilarious and more fact than fiction! In this clever short, Nora Louise Syran presents the Department of Motor Vehicles as a circle of Hell that even Satan can’t comprehend! Truly a story with universal appeal. Who doesn’t have a DMV horror story? In this case, it’s fun to see the Devil get his/her due! This play would be a welcome treat at any festival!

Film noir is a genre that cries out for parody, and The Maltese Walter is easily one of the best! John Minigan’s concept of superhero Noir Man is brilliant. The laughs start early and keep coming right up to the very funny final line. Check out the long list of productions and awards! No surprise.

I am not a director, and yet Kim E. Ruyle creates such vivid images in Tennessee Wet Rub I felt as if I were watching the story unfold in front of me. Ruyle subtly draws on our expectations of a time and place to create tension. But rather than present characters that neatly meet those expectations, he has crafted characters of flesh and blood, heart and soul, and brains. And even a few poets among them. An exquisite play that should be staged often!

An absolutely charming delight! How do you overcome well-entrenched elevator etiquette when you have a desire to communicate? Dakota Pariset lets us follow two characters over the course of a week as they share an elevator and begin to break the ice. Clever, compact, and completely enjoyable! And perhaps for the two characters, the sky, or at least the top floor, is the limit!

What do you get when you combine the talents of Rachel Feeny-Williams and Chris Plumridge? You get a completely crazy play that you would actually pay money (within reason) to see. And if these two appear onstage as themselves? All I can say is make it happen! I will hold my breath in anticipation!

In this very clever play, Rachel Feeny-Williams examines how society views “others,” and she chooses a very unusual group to identify as the “others.” In doing so, she allows strong comic elements to support the more serious point of the play. A story that leaves you with something to think about and provides some real laugh out loud moments along the way.

It is often said that our days are numbered. Would you like to know your number? This and other existential questions, plus a great storyline, humorous dialogue, and interesting characters all combine to make “Divine Books” an otherworldly delight. Joe Swenson puts his characters in the position of making a serious wager on a game controlled by a futuristic being. Ultimately, the play asks, what would you do in their situation? And isn’t that a sure sign of great theater?

Rosie is feeling lonely in her marriage and appears to be suffering from the onset of dementia. Fred, her husband, is frustrated by the changes he sees in her. And Alexa (yes, that Alexa) doesn’t have the answers. Genia Miller starts things off humorously and sets us up for a touching story about aging. But Miller throws quite a curveball! I will leave it at that. Read this now with your favorite ice cream!