Recommended by Morey Norkin

Clever, funny, and eerily plausible. Lisa Attanasio presents us with an awkward first date, but the reason for the awkwardness is totally unexpected and revealed perfectly. Equally charming and cautionary.

Quite a powerful take on grief. Although Jane’s current view of grief is mostly scientific, even with the recent loss of her mother, the underlying emotion is palpable. The imagery of her deceased mother in the form of a beloved bunny is at first comical and yet it makes perfect sense. A lovely two-hander guaranteed to cause a few tears.

I was led to believe that all dogs go to heaven. Chris Plumridge may have created the exception. Dave the Dog is all bite and no bark. This dark one-minute will give you paws (I couldn’t resist.)

This monologue may have been written during the Covid pandemic, but it’s just as relevant today. Lucy Wang uses a variety of Asian stereotypes to call out racism in this no-holds-barred satire. Wonderful opportunity for an Asian American actor to nail an audition while making some important points.

What in the Hell?! John Busser at his worst. I mean best! There are no kind words in Hell. Especially on Mother’s Day. And if there are, it’s a sure sign of evil. I mean good, which is bad. Oh just read it and try not to laugh. It’s time for this one to be resurrected before Hell freezes over.

Piper Edwards is a fighter. It took a divorce and a climb up Everest for her to finally learn that. This monologue reveals her struggle and triumph with a large dose of humor and plenty of heart. A joy to read and to see in performance.

Once again Danielle Wirsansky shares a bit of little known history and the people whom time has forgotten. Major Charity Adams Earley and her African-American Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps battalion probably faced more racial prejudice than the incident described here. But even this small snapshot is an important reminder of people who served their country when their country didn’t support them. Sadly, the efforts to hide these stories is stronger than ever today. Thank you, Danielle, for giving these women a voice.

Margie and Sol, who come from different cultural/religious backgrounds, are expecting their first child, a boy. They have planned everything except whether to have the baby circumcised. Margie is opposed and Sol wants to maintain a centuries old tradition. The debate is both humorous and insightful. The surprising conclusion provides a win-win situation. Throw in another win for any theater that includes this in a short play festival.

Although the play is set in a sterile environment and the characters are assigned numbers instead of names, it is a deeply human story with fully realized characters. As the mind numbing work of data entry continues to the monotonous drone of computers, the toll on the workers continues to mount, as does the overall eeriness of this drama. A horrific tale filled with dark humor told brilliantly by Daniel Prillaman. This is one you won’t soon forget.

Hilarious! At first you think you know where this road trip is taking you (even without a map), but as soon as you discover what’s really happening, the craziness builds at a frantic pace. Get ready to shift into high gear and enjoy the ride!