Recommended by Paul Donnelly

From the selection of the play to the final opening night curtain, the laughs abound in A Crooked French Affair. Wittily skewering technophobia, board politics, actor quirks, urology, and the course of true (and not so true) love, the humor escalates to a rousing conclusion. Every element, including the set, contributes to the fun. This brilliantly crafted play is sure to be a hit with every audience.

Helena's journey of self-discovery unfolds with wit and magic and deep humanity. Helena's fear of her own uniqueness is sympathetic and compelling. Its vivid theatricality makes this piece all the more engaging. It is heartening to watch Blaze and Helena experience the spark of connection.

Wow. I found myself laughing and cringing simultaneously as Beth circled closer and closer to the real point of her visit to grieving Tara. And Beth's final revelation underscores what a soulless corporate apparatchik she has become. It was heartening to see Tara stand up for her own humanity in the face of Beth's wheedling onslaught.

These two assistants manage to paint a vivid picture of the celebrities for whom they work through delicious attempts at discretion mixed with revelatory slips. The thankless task of finding the right tone for a divorce statement becomes boundlessly entertaining in this witty play.

A funny, yet chilling, look at a future where androids mix with humans in the creation of art. Well, in this case porn. Which is almost more horrifying. The tension around characters' reactions to being replaced by androids and the revelation of the androids in their midst are thoroughly engaging.

This moving and riveting play celebrates the resilience and dignity of its heroine and, by extension, all who travel her path. This is a powerful narrative with Mitsuko's urgent need running into Hyun-ae's stubborn intransigence. Hyun-ae's bigotry has regrettable contemporary parallels which gives this specific story its universal resonance.

The journey to letting go of the past and accepting one's true self can be fraught and unsettling. The three monster girls make that journey together in this darkly funny and ultimately affirming play. All the characters are vividly drawn and compelling and it is a true pleasure to share their journey.

From the opening beats I was caught up in this sexy, funny vampire romance. Leah is hardly the stereotypical simpering vampire victim. The question is, did she get more than she bargained for or exactly what she wanted? She will certainly be living with the consequences of her choice in perpetuity. I am rooting for eternal happiness with Harmony.

A very humorous exploration, with a serious undertow, of the disparate pulls of freedom and security, self-determination and comfort, responsibility and contentment. The anthropomorphic animals are all quite engaging and their debate is very much a product of their specific natures and reality. This piece is a lot more fun than I am making it sound.

Dani and her buffoon husband and his even bigger buffoon friend are taken aback by a seemingly menacing neighbor and her gun. The buffoons are particularly offensive in talking for and over Dani. The neighbor and her gun shut them down and shut them up. The neighbor's secret is nothing like Dani (or this reader) expected. This suspenseful comedy is thoroughly engaging and builds to a lovely twist.