Recommended by Andrew Martineau

There is a beautiful sense of moral responsibility incited out of respect for these young women, who were indeed, lovely, and the message is that they deserve to be treated as human beings, regardless of their circumstances or actions. This is a powerful, evocative play for our times.

There is a palpable feeling of sadness in this play for a couple who must remain in each other’s lives not only for the sake of their very young child, but also because they still have a physical and emotional connection to each other that is raw and familiar like the steak we can smell being cooked. Loewenstern gives us a taste of the confusing dance a newly divorced couple performs and it is quite powerful.

Does any father truly know how to deal with his daughter growing up? This play is a humorous exchange between a dad caught in limbo as his little girl starts to date and a friend, I assume, who is asking the tough questions. I could relate to this conundrum. Funny and serious at the same time.

This is the kind of lighthearted comedy with slightly dark overtones that were very common in another era but less so today. I don’t think it’s because audiences like them less; rather, they may take more effort to write to get the tone and cadence right. I really enjoyed it!

I really love this play. It's highly theatrical and moving in all the best possible ways. I felt myself wanting to tell Abigail to let Andy know he was letting social pressures ruin their friendship, but you get the sense that she will never be able to have an equal footing with him. Okay, she doesn't have feet, but it shouldn't matter. Beautiful message and funny, too!

In this brief but powerful play about the need for touch, especially with a loved one or partner, Deray reflects on the uncertainty of our pandemic and how we will come out of it as a species. The thought of being changed for the better is hopeful. This would a wonderful play to see and experience as it should be seen, with physical touch restored, and when hopefully everyone will be just a little bit kinder. Really wonderful!

BETRAYAL has an intriguing premise of a doctor-patient relationship that has taken a turn for the worse. The conflict is highly dramatic, and the dialogue is sharp. These characters offer two actors a chance to explore a high stakes situation with complex intentions. There are many boundaries that have been crossed, and Rachel Feeny-Williams creates a captivating story from start to finish.

This play reminds all of us who are parents during a pandemic that we are just doing the best we can, but a seemingly simple task like writing and mailing Valentine cards with the kids can seem like the last straw. The dialogue is very natural and believable. O’Neill-Butler aptly paints a loving couple realizing how good they really have it. Very touching!

Do these characters say what they mean or mean what they say? That is the question that I had while reading this highly interesting exchange of existential miscommunication. There is so much to marvel at in how the intended messages get stalled, with great humor. Wonderful piece for a couple of actors!

The most intriguing aspect of this play is the way in which Eppich-Harris takes an awkward situation, a first date, makes it even more awkward by introducing this overzealous teenage couple with initially unclear intentions, and then surprises us at the end with how the conflict has developed. This would so much fun to watch!