Recommended by Morey Norkin

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.

When we lose a loved one, we often carry on imaginary conversations with them. Ian Donley takes this concept a step further in this story of grief resulting from a recent tragedy. Even with the dark subject matter, Donley manages to give us a couple of welcome laugh out loud moments. But it’s the feeling that if only this conversation could have happened sooner that is the true haunting of this piece. Poignant and beautiful work.

The lure of the sea is powerful and heartbreakingly at the center of this beautiful love story. A simple setting of a bench and lamppost along with Arianna Rose’s spare yet elegant dialogue combine for 8 minutes you won’t soon forget.

Neil Radtke brings the tension and humor in equal measures leading to a stunning reveal and an even more surprising conclusion. Brilliant!

It’s always interesting seeing Peter Pan characters in new settings. And Dana Hall has come up with a doozy with Peter visiting Tinkerbell in prison. The setting and Tinkerbell’s tough persona start things off with plenty of laughs. But there’s a dark undertone that Hall brings to the surface at just the right moment. Whether they believe in fairies or not, audiences will be clapping for this Tink.

Maeve and Rob are certainly compatible in bed, and, despite their wildly different educational and professional backgrounds, they are seemingly intellectual equals. But as much as each may protest, the differences give rise to defensiveness, intimidation, and mistrust. As they begin to open up emotionally to each other, we are drawn more into their relationship, hoping they can find a basis beyond physical attraction to sustain this fledgling romance. Great writing as expected from Kim Ruyle. Completely deserving of the accolades it has been receiving.