Recommended by Morey Norkin

Too often the stories of people and events from our often sordid history go untold. Marlan Warren remedies that in this telling, mostly in the participants’ own words, of the young Japanese American women who, while imprisoned in internment camps, organized a letter writing campaign to their male counterparts serving overseas to defend the country that imprisoned them. The story is told with a mixture of humor and heartbreak. And an underlying sense of outrage for the grave injustice that was done. A beautifully theatrical piece that deserves to be seen often,

Reminiscent of a wonderful joke about a cat, THE DEATH OF GINGERBREAD (a goldfish) builds patiently with great humor to the hilarious punchline. But beyond the joke, Rand Higbee has given us two engaging characters who draw us in, unsuspecting what’s in store. A real treat!

I imagine cheers from the audience at the conclusion of this brilliant one-minute play. Go Danielle!

Ricardo Soltero-Brown’s dialogue practically leaps from the page! The negotiation between the two characters is filled with tension but also quite humorous. And what we learn about negotiation is that the ultimate objective is “how,” much more than who, what, where, or when. And that leaves me with the question: how do you write a play like this? I wish I knew and I wish I could see it performed.

Talk about holding a grudge! This is such a clever, original piece that will certainly evoke memories of elementary school recess. Very funny!

Poor Beth! She just wants to make sure a stranger on the beach is ok, and she ends up having to deal with the annoying Jeremy, a cursed merman. But why would the unseen Donna put a curse on Jeremy? Could it be his constant merman-splaining? No one writes funnier dialogue than Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend. And this is some of her best!

If you think about it, you can probably come up with a unique justification for any morally dubious behavior. And this pair of grave robbers have come up with a doozy! Robert LeBlanc has given us a wonderful comic duo that I would want to see played by Laurel and Hardy, if they could be resurrected. The introduction of the Watchman provides the perfect finish.

This fast paced story of fine art intrigue could easily be subtitled “The Last Temptation of Christ.” The moral question being asked is what is our obligation when we come into possession of a valuable object and we know who the rightful owner is? Iyna Caruso uses humor, especially in the form of renaissance painter Jacopo de Barbari, who follows the modern day mystery of his missing masterpiece. A fun time, a painless art history lesson, and a serving of justice. Perfect for any one-act festival.

Claudia Haas takes us on a beautiful adventure for all ages. And what we learn along with the central characters is that we all belong where we are loved and can give love in return. The storytelling moves deftly from sadness to fantasy to comical (Romeo and Juliet!) but always remains heartfelt. The incident this story is based on may not be true, but if it is, I’d like to believe it happened exactly like this.

Pickleball, Shakespeare, and Tom Jones make a delightful combination as two women make a bet that they can change their male partners’ style of play. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable theatre experience. With a Kim Ruyle play, it’s not unusual!