Recommended by Morey Norkin

Sad and haunting. Wyne Alyse Thomas, through the voices of her young characters, makes disturbingly clear the horrors today’s schoolchildren must face. This important play has a message that needs to be shared far and wide.

Sometimes our daily life can seem so routine someone could easily put it in a script. That’s just what happens to one couple in this charming comedy from Mark Harvey Levine. Our lives may not all be the stuff of Pulitzers and Tonys, but as Scripted shows us, we have the power to edit our own story. An enjoyable piece truly worthy of all the accolades it has received.

I have to admit the 14-year-old in me wanted revenge on Team 13 and Team 5! But the ending was so much more satisfying. What an enjoyable, inspiring work Sam Heyman has created! The ego and insecurities of youth fused with the ego and insecurities of writers of any age make for a story that draws you in from the start and has you cheering on these talented teens. So many lessons presented about life and writing. Sam Heyman has clearly learned his lessons well!

Nonsense and Beauty is a love story and as such it is brimming with passion, longing, jealousy, and understanding. But what sets this love story apart, other than the decades long relationship between E.M. Forster and Bob Buckingham and Bob’s wife, Mary, is Scott Sickles’ elegant writing. The dialogue is as crisp and clever as one would expect for the characters and era. I would love to hear skilled actors perform these five wonderful roles. I can’t recommend this enough!

Chris Plumridge is a master of word play, and ‘E’scape is a prime example. A parody of reality shows where inventors seek investments from arrogant millionaires, this play mixes the brilliant word play with hilarious physical comedy. A word of caution. Remain seated while reading ‘E’scape. Walking around laughing could be hazardous to your health!

After the hilarious chaos of Hilary Bluestein-Lyons’ Marcie and Patty Are Getting Married, Scott Sickles brings us to the wedding reception focused on another set of Peanuts characters and a more subdued mood aided by an open bar. Sickles manages to call up some vintage images from the comic strip adding to the overall charm of this piece. It is truly heartwarming to see Chuck as a somewhat functioning adult and that his two best friends, Linus and Schroeder, still have his back. I have to think Charles Schulz would be pleased.

It always seemed as though Marcie and Patty would be together if they were allowed to grow up. Hilary Bluestein-Lyons’ comic delight about the lovable Peanuts characters as adults packs a lot of charm and physical humor into 10 minutes. And what seems like a pre-wedding disaster merely confirms how right these two are for each other. I would love to see this staged along with Scott Sickles’ companion piece, Music and God.

A sad and frightening look at where women’s reproductive rights are headed in post Roe v. Wade America. George Sapio let’s the tension build as the two characters discuss the details of their planned “escape.” And then he leaves you teetering on the edge of your seat wondering what their fate will be. A small bit of discomfort considering what women are already facing. This is an important play that needs to be produced before the events depicted become reality.

New Year’s Eve countdown is a time filled with hope and promises. Many of those promises are easily broken. But in John Mabey’sw absolutely delightful rom-com, a burned out lawyer may be able to fulfill a resolution with seconds to spare with help from a surprising source. The characters are engaging, the dialogue witty and fast-paced. Read this. And if you have the chance to see it, do so. It will be time well spent.

Jacquie Floyd-Priskorn tells a beautiful, heartbreaking story in Barn Wood and Blue Roses. Chelsea and Devon are young teens and best friends. Chelsea has cystic fibrosis, so Devon creates a fantasy world for them as a way to encourage her. But it seems Devon also needs an escape from the real world. Jacquie’s wit shines brightly throughout, especially as characters break from the storytelling. But it’s her humanity that sets this play apart. A one-act version is available, but the more time spent with these characters the better.