Recommended by Morey Norkin

In this brilliant satire, Jacquie Priskorn takes aim at morning TV infotainment and the increasing influence billionaires, trillionaires, and gazillionaires are having on our lives. Some serious stuff, yes, but you’ll be laughing from start to finish. Wacky characters and a wacky, if not evil, scheme involving the city of Anchorage. An absolute gem.

How can you not like this? I found myself smiling throughout even with the bittersweet stories that are shared by the characters. But the human desire to turn an inconvenient situation into something positive is palpable here. Just the kind of feel good story we need this holiday season.

No matter what the future brings in terms of AI and humanoid robots, there will always be something remaining in the world that is uniquely human. Aly Kantor captures that unique essence beautifully with humor and emotional depth. Displaying both the frightening and hopeful aspects of this new technology in such a short time frame is quite a feat. But Kantor’s skill as a storyteller is never to be doubted.

If he hasn’t already, Scott Sickles could easily compile an anthology of cautionary plays about the shift in America toward ultra-right Christian nationalism. And this play would could serve as either the intriguing intro or the frightening conclusion. Outstanding, important work.

Abhisek Bhattacharya weaves a creepy and sad tale of spiders, ghosts, and revenge. The three characters converge in a dystopian feeling setting in what appears to be a two against one mismatch. Sad backgrounds are revealed along with reasons for revenge. Hang on tight for the ending.

I was instantly drawn in by the explanation of the test and wanting to figure out who was who or what was what. I failed miserably, which only means that John Busser has thoroughly succeeded once again at not only entertaining with his personal brand of humor, but with a surprising and somewhat unnerving look at where AI is headed. The setup is executed to perfection. Better than any robot could do. Hmm… Could John Busser really be a…noooo!

First I was intrigued by the character name Mrs. Teitelbaum, since that was my mother’s maiden name. This character was nothing like my mother, but she was enjoyable for her habits and special powers. And the entire play is enjoyable for its great comic dialogue and physical comedy, the overlying theme of science versus spirituality/mysticism, and the air of expectancy we share with Amy and Jeff. Not since “Bell, Book, and Candle” have I enjoyed an encounter with a witch so much. Read, stage, and enjoy!

Why, why, why, Delilah?! Just because she was impressed with his hair or was she working with those Philistine scoundrels? We may never know, but what we do know is that Ken Love has given us an interesting update of a biblical story and a monologue for any actor able to live up to the name, Samson.

Life is about the choices we make. And in this remarkable drama, Wendy Vogel explores the choices of three men that have repercussions that they, and certainly the audience, could not have imagined. Highly theatrical and chock full of monologues for actors to sink their teeth into, this play and the stories it tells are absolutely riveting. Theaters also make choices. And they should be choosing to produce this play.

What a delight! Set in the Scottish highlands with a pair of spritely Bryndals, this charming fairytale will have you smiling from start to finish. I couldn’t help reading this with my best (which is terrible) Scottish accent. I’m delighted to see that this play will have a production next year. It’s deserving of many more.