Recommended by Neil Radtke

David Hilder's Two Have Clipboards pulls you in with its offbeat humor and then keeps you off balance with its constant shifts in tone and setting. It’s a playful but eerie ride where the rules never seem clear, yet the theatricality makes every moment feel alive. A short, inventive piece that rewards both laughter and curiosity.

Debra A. Cole’s Bevie! proves that sometimes the scariest thing on a plane isn’t turbulence, it’s your date. Rachel is an absolute train wreck you can’t stop watching, and poor Ben is in way over his head from the moment she screams “Bevie!” for a drink refill. The line “Yep… so brave” lands with delicious irony, the sound of a man realizing he’s doomed. Dark, twisted, and laugh-out-loud funny. This play is the rom-com from hell we didn’t know we needed!

As a fan of The Conjuring and horror theatre, I had a blast with this one. John Busser takes Ed and Lorraine Warren out of the haunted house and into a divorce arbitration, where the arguments are as sharp as the scares. The mix of dark comedy and supernatural dread is paced just right, with Annabelle’s presence adding that perfect creepy touch. Horror lovers will get the shivers and the laughs in equal measure.

The Monster by Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn is a funny little two-hander that flips the usual horror setup on its head. Instead of terror, we get a sharp and witty back-and-forth between a so-called “Scary Monster” and a surprisingly calm victim who just won’t play along. The banter is fast, clever, and meta in all the right ways.

Borrowed Time packs a surprising emotional punch in just one minute. Debra A. Cole shows how much can be said between two people with just a few playful lines and one simple decision: to just be together. It’s sweet, tender, and quietly heartbreaking.

Greg Mandryk’s Sandy’s Gift is a sharp, funny workplace comedy with a sinister edge. The dialogue crackles with nostalgic banter that slides seamlessly into something darker and more surprising. A terrific showcase for three actors, full of energy, twists, and great comic timing.

Kyle Phillips’ The Mime’s Garden is an absolute blast. It’s weird, funny, and completely committed to its own madness, with moments that made me laugh out loud and others that genuinely surprised me. A great piece for actors and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Steven G. Martin has written a sharp little gut-punch of a play. What seems like simple banter between an old man and a newcomer gradually reveals the darker truth behind tradition. It’s tense, unsettling, and the final image is one that lingers.

The Sonder Project hit me hard. It’s raw and honest about what teenagers carry under the surface, but it never feels preachy. The way the monologues weave together, and that final moment with Taylor, sticks with you long after. This is a play that makes you want to notice people more.

Douds, Iowa, by Debbie Bolsky is a sharp, darkly comic play that turns a small-town mortuary into a battleground of secrets, debts, and power plays. Kat and Aunt May’s cat-and-mouse struggle mixes biting humor with genuine menace, all leading to a twisted cycle of entrapment.