Recommended by John David Westby

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    This is a thoughtful, funny and absurd take on how we judge and treat others. The characters of Hatter and Hare are an absurd comedy team, leading us through the often dark but always funny scenes from a life. It will leave audiences questioning and discussing and remembering long after the play concludes.

    This is a thoughtful, funny and absurd take on how we judge and treat others. The characters of Hatter and Hare are an absurd comedy team, leading us through the often dark but always funny scenes from a life. It will leave audiences questioning and discussing and remembering long after the play concludes.

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    This play is structured so well in three scenes the often bitter struggle of factions of the left come to vivid life in crafted arguments and the push and pull of comrades who believe fervently in the cause, just not the exact cause of their other comrades. The second scene has perhaps the most resonance with today's left - the painstaking arguments about access and solidarity with no one really truly listening. Well done. I have to say I listened to the audio version and that was well done.

    This play is structured so well in three scenes the often bitter struggle of factions of the left come to vivid life in crafted arguments and the push and pull of comrades who believe fervently in the cause, just not the exact cause of their other comrades. The second scene has perhaps the most resonance with today's left - the painstaking arguments about access and solidarity with no one really truly listening. Well done. I have to say I listened to the audio version and that was well done.

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    Sugar cleverly transforms an ordinary neighborly interaction into a quiet act of rescue and courage. The gradual reveal of what’s really happening behind Lilia’s closed door is handled with restraint and emotional precision, making the final moments land with real power. O’Grady captures both the fear of abuse and the fragile possibility of escape in a way that feels intimate, human, and deeply hopeful.

    Sugar cleverly transforms an ordinary neighborly interaction into a quiet act of rescue and courage. The gradual reveal of what’s really happening behind Lilia’s closed door is handled with restraint and emotional precision, making the final moments land with real power. O’Grady captures both the fear of abuse and the fragile possibility of escape in a way that feels intimate, human, and deeply hopeful.

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    Red, White and Black is a sweeping historical drama blending African American and Native American histories into haunting stage imagery and poetic spirit sequences. The play has a mythic quality as it explores painful human truths about displacement of slavery, identity, and belonging. The play’s emotional core comes through strongest in the relationship between Silas and Mary, whose story gives warmth and humanity to the larger historical world.

    Red, White and Black is a sweeping historical drama blending African American and Native American histories into haunting stage imagery and poetic spirit sequences. The play has a mythic quality as it explores painful human truths about displacement of slavery, identity, and belonging. The play’s emotional core comes through strongest in the relationship between Silas and Mary, whose story gives warmth and humanity to the larger historical world.

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    Sharp, funny and unexpectedly sweet. This short play sneaks up on you. What starts as a drunken anti-Valentine’s protest outside a greeting card store slowly transforms into heartbreak, loneliness, and the strange ways people try to protect themselves from vulnerability. Crackles with sarcastic humor and emotional moments. The play balances absurd comedy with real tenderness. Perfect for a Valentine's Day Short Play Fest.

    Sharp, funny and unexpectedly sweet. This short play sneaks up on you. What starts as a drunken anti-Valentine’s protest outside a greeting card store slowly transforms into heartbreak, loneliness, and the strange ways people try to protect themselves from vulnerability. Crackles with sarcastic humor and emotional moments. The play balances absurd comedy with real tenderness. Perfect for a Valentine's Day Short Play Fest.

  • John David Westby: All Roads Lead to Prospect Park by Dan Perry
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    A sharp, funny, and surprisingly poignant backgammon match between two old friends arguing about what makes a life well-lived. Perry writes dialogue that's crisp with just enough bite to keep it from slipping into sentimentality. This play sneaks up on you emotionally and turns into something quietly reflective and a little heartbreaking. Great roles for older actors.

    A sharp, funny, and surprisingly poignant backgammon match between two old friends arguing about what makes a life well-lived. Perry writes dialogue that's crisp with just enough bite to keep it from slipping into sentimentality. This play sneaks up on you emotionally and turns into something quietly reflective and a little heartbreaking. Great roles for older actors.

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  • John David Westby: See You in a Minute by Jacob Juntunen
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    This is one of those sneaky plays that starts funny with sandwiches, puppets and family situations and then quietly wrecks you. It blends a near-future pandemic with tech and deeply human grief to lands hard on your heart. Warm and devastating in the best way.

    This is one of those sneaky plays that starts funny with sandwiches, puppets and family situations and then quietly wrecks you. It blends a near-future pandemic with tech and deeply human grief to lands hard on your heart. Warm and devastating in the best way.

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  • John David Westby: Ties That Bind by Nancy Temple
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    This emotionally grounded two-hander builds its tension through a deceptively simple conversation between mother and daughter. The reveal in the play lands effectively and leads to deeper truths, giving the play a strong central turn that's satisfying to audiences. It raises real questions about identity, secrecy and protection. A solid, actor-driven piece that would play well in intimate spaces where the emotional shifts can fully breathe.

    This emotionally grounded two-hander builds its tension through a deceptively simple conversation between mother and daughter. The reveal in the play lands effectively and leads to deeper truths, giving the play a strong central turn that's satisfying to audiences. It raises real questions about identity, secrecy and protection. A solid, actor-driven piece that would play well in intimate spaces where the emotional shifts can fully breathe.

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  • John David Westby: Truthful Obituary by Jessie Salsbury
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    A dark and funny two-hander about writing an obituary which becomes the vehicle to excavate years of buried trauma and resentment. There's a crackling tension between honesty and social convention between the conflicting impulses revealing the deeper wounds of each sister.

    A dark and funny two-hander about writing an obituary which becomes the vehicle to excavate years of buried trauma and resentment. There's a crackling tension between honesty and social convention between the conflicting impulses revealing the deeper wounds of each sister.

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  • John David Westby: Loop Group: Or Shia Lebeouf's Version by Bernardo Cubría
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    This is a very funny play especially for actors and artists and will no doubt resonate even more with LA-based actors. Cubria's sharp satire about authenticity, identity, and power in the entertainment complex comes with his potent character-driven humor. The Loop Group reveals how ambition and self-delusion collide in a place that commoditizes culture as much as talent and that holds people's healthcare hostage to the number of booked hours in a year.

    This is a very funny play especially for actors and artists and will no doubt resonate even more with LA-based actors. Cubria's sharp satire about authenticity, identity, and power in the entertainment complex comes with his potent character-driven humor. The Loop Group reveals how ambition and self-delusion collide in a place that commoditizes culture as much as talent and that holds people's healthcare hostage to the number of booked hours in a year.

    ”