Recommended by Morey Norkin

Andrew Martineau’s Etched in Stone is beautifully written with rich characters that instantly draw you into their lives, past and present and fully aware of the future. Fanny and Peter’s charming graveside picnic conversation segues seamlessly to memories of their youth with their now departed spouses and the events that shaped their lives. It is an emotional journey well worth taking.

No one wants to laugh at a funeral. And certainly not 14 of them! But with Fourteen Funerals, Eric Pfeffinger has created a comic gem. Even the method of the deceased’s passing is comical. But there’s much more to this play. At its core, it is a story of relationships and two interesting characters trying to find their way. The reading just flew by. Seeing it performed would be a delight!

So very funny and so true! I can identify with the Writer, and maybe that’s not a good thing. But I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Adam Richter has written a 10-minute play that hilariously defines what doing so entails. And he coined a new term in the process: “Shatnerize!” Love it!

I actually took a break in the middle of today’s puzzle to read these perfectly on target short plays. Adam Richter cleverly captures the competitiveness, frustration, and occasional satisfaction that Wordle players experience. Is there a Wordle convention looking for entertainment? We have a winner right here!

What is comedy? How do we know we’re funny unless someone tells us? These perplexing questions even confound two of the greatest comic actors of all time, Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin. On a ship headed to America where they will discover their comic voice (or silence in Chaplin’s case) and the world will discover their talent, the pair discuss these weighty issues just as any young people on an adventure to the unknown. Kevin Broccoli has created a lovely portrait of these two artists. I hope he has more to share!

It may be called “You Don’t Know,” but with Rachel Feeny-Williams you always know you’re in for a treat! This taut mystery is filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing. At the heart of the story is a severely strained relationship between a detective and his daughter. Is that strain enough to result in murder?! All will be revealed… almost!

Christopher Soucy has crafted an elegant theatrical work steeped in American history and literature. What an event to be privy to: A social gathering that includes Mark Twain, Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, and William Dean Howells. Narrated by Twain’s daughter, Clara Clemens, this piece could work wonderfully as readers theater, staged reading, or full production. I would love to see it in any or all of these incarnations.

Marcia Eppich-Harris packs quite a lot of wit and drama into two minutes! I can imagine couples in an audience stealing glances at one another and wondering, “Is that what he/she was thinking?” The couple in this play has only just begun and that’s so sad. Well done!

From the mind of John Busser…and if you’ve read any of John’s plays, that’s all you need to know! A slasher parody for the ages (17 and up?), this play may not make the final cut at a conservative theater festival, but you can be sure the judges are secretly downloading it and having a great time. Warning: do not attempt to put your face in a blender!

A penguin AND a panda! That was enough to get me to select this play. But it’s Daniel Prillaman’s funny dialogue between Terrence, the lost and somewhat confused penguin, and Ling-Ling (Candace), a panda who could really use some company that hooked me. What a hoot! The carefully delineated characters and clever wordplay make this a sheer delight! The image this play creates will keep me smiling for hours.