Recommended by Paul Donnelly

I'm generally not a fan of twist endings, but the twist at the end of Threat Level: Cream felt organic and deeply existential, while also making me jump while reading. I can only imagine how effective it would be in production! The play leading up to the twist is a quite engaging portrait of two harried government workers meeting semi-cute on the Metro when suddenly ... well ... read it or see it for yourself.

Chilling. I can't get over the chilling final lines of this smartly executed monologue. There's a menace inherent in the action of assembling a gun that creates tension under the seemingly benign and amusing recollection of his childhood obsession with James Bond. (Personal aside, my first Corgi was the Aston-Martin with the ejector seat.) Turns out the menace wins in the end. Chilling.

What's most amazing about this sometimes uproariously funny, sometimes trenchantly observed, and ultimately quite moving play is its vivid theatricality. These boys go meta in ways that illuminate their emotional dilemma, how to be a conventional "guy" who happens to have actual human feelings, effectively. It's a work I'd love to see on its feet.

Really uncomfortable truths lurk beneath the surface of this supremely funny satirical gem. The immutability of privilege and cultural appropriation are among the topics that are spoofed and yet shown to be queasily resilient. What could be a one or two note satire gains depth and resonance as it moves forward.

A wonderfully clever premise is fulfilled through sly humor, glorious throw away bits that land perfectly, and incisive social commentary. These are a rich, full and eminently production worthy 10 pages.

A deliciously subversive and quite witty take on the genesis of a Conservative/Libertarian icon. Or is it an actual documentary?

Crossover Fiction is truly as billed a Sci-Fi romp, with emphasis on the romp as a fictional character comes face to face with her creator. To say that she is unappreciative of his efforts would be an understatement, but it would be difficult not to appreciate Greg Lam's efforts in creating this marvelous comedic gem.

A comedy about letting go of a lost love sounds like quite a feat to pull off, but Chloë Whitehorn pulls it off with ease. Wonderful use of misdirection and overlapping dialogue keep the humor afloat until the need to let go of the past and carry on life in the present comes movingly to the fore. A delightful confection with real substance.

Whip smart, vividly imagined, and dazzlingly funny. Where else might one find an exchange straight out of Laurel and Hardy between a harried bookstore manager and a 1,000 year-old Japanese novelist? The play also builds to an insightful meditation on the vagaries of reputation and representation. All in all, an astounding accomplishment that is deeply entertaining.

What starts as an extremely effective romantic comedy, with reluctant lovers and well meaning, if overbearing, interfering parents, deepens and darkens into a moving exploration of cultural identity, the refugee experience, and the intractable losses and horrors of war. That such a story could have a credible happy ending speaks to the resilience of the human spirit and to the author's manifest gifts.