Recommended by Craig Houk

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    Having been fortunate enough to catch a reading of The Rebellious Angels Enjoy Malört at the Valdez Theatre Conference, I was delighted by Michael C. O'Day's hilarious and moving play. At its heart is the wonderfully realized friendship between Phil and Joe, whose decades of shared history make every exchange feel authentic, funny, frustrating, and deeply human. O'Day balances sharp comedy with themes of faith, guilt, belonging, and change, delivering laughs without losing its heart.

    Having been fortunate enough to catch a reading of The Rebellious Angels Enjoy Malört at the Valdez Theatre Conference, I was delighted by Michael C. O'Day's hilarious and moving play. At its heart is the wonderfully realized friendship between Phil and Joe, whose decades of shared history make every exchange feel authentic, funny, frustrating, and deeply human. O'Day balances sharp comedy with themes of faith, guilt, belonging, and change, delivering laughs without losing its heart.

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    Having been fortunate enough to attend a live reading of Flying Away, I was delighted by David Adam Gill’s witty homage to 1930s melodramas. The stylized dialogue, period slang, and larger-than-life characters evoke classic cinema while cleverly poking fun at its conventions. Beneath the absurd premise lies a tightly constructed story with real heart, making this fast-paced comedy as engaging as it is laugh-out-loud funny. A surefire crowd-pleaser, ideal for any short play festival.

    Having been fortunate enough to attend a live reading of Flying Away, I was delighted by David Adam Gill’s witty homage to 1930s melodramas. The stylized dialogue, period slang, and larger-than-life characters evoke classic cinema while cleverly poking fun at its conventions. Beneath the absurd premise lies a tightly constructed story with real heart, making this fast-paced comedy as engaging as it is laugh-out-loud funny. A surefire crowd-pleaser, ideal for any short play festival.

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    Having caught a live reading of A Higher Power, I can once again report that Busser has a gift for outrageous scenarios, razor-sharp dialogue, inspired puns, and storytelling that seems gloriously dumb right up until you realize how smart it is. Equal parts hilarious and blasphemous, it's the kind of play that will have audiences laughing hysterically while probably offending at least a few others. Now, if someone could please convince Busser to write a full-length play, I'd be grateful.

    Having caught a live reading of A Higher Power, I can once again report that Busser has a gift for outrageous scenarios, razor-sharp dialogue, inspired puns, and storytelling that seems gloriously dumb right up until you realize how smart it is. Equal parts hilarious and blasphemous, it's the kind of play that will have audiences laughing hysterically while probably offending at least a few others. Now, if someone could please convince Busser to write a full-length play, I'd be grateful.

  • Craig Houk: The Moth Man Cries by Marshall Logan Gibbs
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    Having been fortunate enough to attend a live reading of The Moth Man Cries, I was captivated by its exquisite dialogue, richly drawn characters, and deeply human relationships. Gibbs masterfully weaves the folklore of Mothman, the history of Point Pleasant, and the restrictive culture of the Two-by-Twos into a haunting folk-horror tale about faith, identity, and freedom. Poetic, emotionally resonant, and almost musical in its construction, this is, in my humble opinion, a stage-ready work

    Having been fortunate enough to attend a live reading of The Moth Man Cries, I was captivated by its exquisite dialogue, richly drawn characters, and deeply human relationships. Gibbs masterfully weaves the folklore of Mothman, the history of Point Pleasant, and the restrictive culture of the Two-by-Twos into a haunting folk-horror tale about faith, identity, and freedom. Poetic, emotionally resonant, and almost musical in its construction, this is, in my humble opinion, a stage-ready work

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  • Having been fortunate enough to attend a live reading of this piece, I was immediately struck by the strength of the writing. Satta has crafted two fully realized characters whose relationship unfolds through sharp, nuanced dialogue that feels authentic throughout. A gift for actors, the emotions are embedded so deeply in the text that they emerge naturally. Thoughtful, moving, and beautifully constructed, Ben and Ray lingers long after the curtain falls. Highly recommend.

    Having been fortunate enough to attend a live reading of this piece, I was immediately struck by the strength of the writing. Satta has crafted two fully realized characters whose relationship unfolds through sharp, nuanced dialogue that feels authentic throughout. A gift for actors, the emotions are embedded so deeply in the text that they emerge naturally. Thoughtful, moving, and beautifully constructed, Ben and Ray lingers long after the curtain falls. Highly recommend.

  • Craig Houk: "THE ARCHWAY" - A Full-Length Psychological Thriller (2026 REVISION) by Donald Loftus
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    A taut psychological thriller that weaponizes family loyalty against ambition, The Archway traps two estranged brothers in a nightmarish spiral of guilt, manipulation, and survival. Donald Loftus crafts razor-sharp dialogue, escalating dread, and shocking reversals into a claustrophobic thriller where every act of protection becomes another act of betrayal.

    A taut psychological thriller that weaponizes family loyalty against ambition, The Archway traps two estranged brothers in a nightmarish spiral of guilt, manipulation, and survival. Donald Loftus crafts razor-sharp dialogue, escalating dread, and shocking reversals into a claustrophobic thriller where every act of protection becomes another act of betrayal.

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  • Craig Houk: Nightshade: A Melodrama by Ken Love
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    Ken Love’s Nightshade: A Melodrama is sexy, dangerous, messy, and completely unapologetic. It plays like classic film noir with a dark, dirty twist, full of lust, betrayal, booze, and emotional chaos. The melodrama lands perfectly because the script knows exactly how wild it is and fully leans into it. Definitely not for the faint of heart. This feels like a huge departure for Love, and I dare any production company to stage it. It’s outrageous fun.

    Ken Love’s Nightshade: A Melodrama is sexy, dangerous, messy, and completely unapologetic. It plays like classic film noir with a dark, dirty twist, full of lust, betrayal, booze, and emotional chaos. The melodrama lands perfectly because the script knows exactly how wild it is and fully leans into it. Definitely not for the faint of heart. This feels like a huge departure for Love, and I dare any production company to stage it. It’s outrageous fun.

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  • Craig Houk: Trade With Klan by Donald E. Baker
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    It’s been a while since I first read Trade With Klan, and its impact remains profound, revealing how little has changed since its 1925 setting. Baker grounds the drama in everyday choices, showing how people rationalize complicity through pressure, fear, and belonging. The characters feel fully human, making their decisions all the more unsettling. Its central question, what do you do when those you love choose hate, lingers, leaving the play urgent and necessary. Highly recommended.

    It’s been a while since I first read Trade With Klan, and its impact remains profound, revealing how little has changed since its 1925 setting. Baker grounds the drama in everyday choices, showing how people rationalize complicity through pressure, fear, and belonging. The characters feel fully human, making their decisions all the more unsettling. Its central question, what do you do when those you love choose hate, lingers, leaving the play urgent and necessary. Highly recommended.

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  • Craig Houk: Chagutok by Vince Gatton
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    Vince Gatton reaches into the darkness with precision and depth. In Chagutok, he builds a premise that seems impossible to sustain, yet every moment lands with clarity and emotional truth. The characters are vivid, their lives intersecting in ways both cosmic and deeply human. Most striking is how such a cerebral play cuts straight to the heart, sneaking up and undoing you. This fusion of intellect and emotion is rare, a powerful reminder of theater’s potential. Read this and produce it.

    Vince Gatton reaches into the darkness with precision and depth. In Chagutok, he builds a premise that seems impossible to sustain, yet every moment lands with clarity and emotional truth. The characters are vivid, their lives intersecting in ways both cosmic and deeply human. Most striking is how such a cerebral play cuts straight to the heart, sneaking up and undoing you. This fusion of intellect and emotion is rare, a powerful reminder of theater’s potential. Read this and produce it.

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  • Craig Houk: A Thousand Words by John Mabey
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    Mabey’s writing is striking in its restraint, spare, poetic dialogue that carries enormous emotional weight in just a few words. The rhythm is so fluid it pulls you forward and breaking from it feels like losing the spell. By minimizing stage direction and offering lyrical, evocative cues, he trusts actors to fully inhabit the work. There is also a deep generosity in the writing that reflects Mabey himself, a beautiful human whose warmth and empathy shine through every line. The result is a moving meditation on connection that is brief, profound, and not meant to last.

    Mabey’s writing is striking in its restraint, spare, poetic dialogue that carries enormous emotional weight in just a few words. The rhythm is so fluid it pulls you forward and breaking from it feels like losing the spell. By minimizing stage direction and offering lyrical, evocative cues, he trusts actors to fully inhabit the work. There is also a deep generosity in the writing that reflects Mabey himself, a beautiful human whose warmth and empathy shine through every line. The result is a moving meditation on connection that is brief, profound, and not meant to last.

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