Recommended by Morey Norkin

Kim E. Ruyle has created a clever romantic comedy with mature characters whose connections are based on some surprising coincidences. The crisp dialogue and the way Ruyle weaves the backstories with the present pull you in so you can’t help but root for all the various relationships to work out. In addition to the romantic relationships, there are family dynamics at play that provide a source of drama and tension. It all works beautifully! And that ending! Would love to see this before I slide completely into seniorhood!

From lights up and the description of Gayle, her ladle, and an upside down bucket, you know you’re in the strange and wonderful world of John Busser’s imagination! And when Gayle, alternating between sweet hostess and distressed widow, asks what we think is under the bucket, I was ready to believe the worst. So many laugh out loud moments between the terrific lines (“…still had egg on his face, but only metaphorically”) and the extreme physical comedy. And still there is sympathy for Gayle. In the end, I’m glad she has a friend like Henry. Well done!

True friends, the kind who always have your back, who you can always joke with, who may cross the line occasionally with their teasing, but who deep down love you, are priceless. Marj O’Neill-Butler presents five women, two of whom are sisters, who are just such friends. The adult humor is hilarious and shows the deep bond between these women. And when tragedy strikes the two sisters, the others show their professionalism and friendship know no bounds. A powerful, emotional journey for an ensemble of strong female actors. Brilliant!

This is a terrific two-hander that makes great use of a confined space and physicality of one character in particular to heighten the desperation in Dan Taube’s brilliant dialogue. So much of life is a question of choices. For Stutz, a parolee, bad choices are the norm. But maybe with the help of Berman he can turn his life around. I highly recommend you make the right choice and read SECOND CHANCES! Better yet, produce it!

What a masterful stroke! Plot twists are always interesting when they take you by surprise, but what Marilyn Ollett does here is make you question everything you’ve just seen and heard. Aren’t we supposed to believe the victim? Could her story and/or memory have changed during the intervening years? The story starts out with good-natured flirtatious humor, but the tension quickly builds. And then we’re left with a big question. I’m still not sure what my answer is, but I encourage everyone to read this and find their own!

Wow! Intimate, funny, sexy, heartbreaking, and scary! All in ten minutes! The on again off again relationship between Rose and Mark seems to headed in the wrong direction for Rose. But Rose, the living Variety Pack (love that line!), may have the last word. If someone offers you comps to see this, I suggest you accept them. In fact, I would gladly pay to see this!

A story about storytellers told by a master storyteller, Christopher Soucy. I couldn’t imagine where this was going, but fortunately the storyteller has no lack of imagination. You want to read this, believe me!

As far as I’m concerned, you can’t go wrong with donuts and pizza! And Robert Weibezahl proves the point wonderfully. This play starts out so bizarrely funny with the somewhat unusual Colin encroaching on the park bench where Dominic is seated. The unwelcome conversation is at first hilarious, but the mood suddenly shifts. And out of a painful past experience comes understanding and acceptance. A beautifully told story ready for an audience.

Cole Hunter Dzubak certainly knows how to scare the daylights out of you! This play works brilliantly as audio only, which I was lucky enough to hear in a preview of season two of Theatrical Shenanigans. But don’t let that stop anyone from bringing it to the stage. A great ghost story can only benefit from the shrieks of others sitting close by. You will find your heart starts racing as the tension mounts for a group of students on a ghost hunt. Things turn scary and then! You’ll have to read it to find out!

Mike Byham has created one heck of a powerful family drama that focuses on regret and a decision that haunts for a lifetime. Things seem tranquil, almost idyllic, on the Scott farm in Southlake, Texas, with the occasional exception of teen trespassers. But there’s more beneath the surface, and Byham does a terrific job of revealing all at a deliberate pace, as one would expect given the setting. Charcter-driven, with an emotion-packed story, SOUTHLAKE is more than ready for an audience.