Recommended by Paul Donnelly

So much to love in this funny and moving play about grief and self-acceptance and a love that transcends death. Saul learns a valuable lesson when he realizes the meaning of the checks his Bubbie has been sending. Saul is finally able to move beyond needing to put up a false front to his family, an effort that is amusing at first but comes to be deeply problematic. Saul's journey is entertaining, poignant, and ultimately up-lifting.

Longstanding resentments boil over as these three siblings drive to their father's deathbed. Their dialogue has the texture that comes from a shared history and their experiences are rendered vividly. Yet, despite their differences, the thread of a bond remains.

Nora faces a difficult decision and her grandmother reveals long hidden family secrets in the hope of making her feel less alone. The difficulty of Nora's decision is revealed with great sensitivity and insight. It is entirely fitting that Nora doesn't make a decision by the end of the play. She and we are left with much to ponder.

This gentle play and its two well-drawn and thoroughly engaging characters really packs a wallop. The easy banter between this couple gives way to a crushing reality, but the love that undergirds the banter sees them through the crushing reality. This is a deeply moving and unforgettable story.

Two recognizable and distinctly drawn teen girls turn out to have very different reasons for joining the debate team. One regrets her decision, the other decides to forge ahead. How they both come to remain on the team and how they address their assigned topic is the very funny core of this very funny play.

As the song goes, "Let me entertain you. Let me make you smile." Murder at the Orient Burlesque does both. From its vividly drawn cast of burlesque archetypes through its multiple murder suspects, this play delivers the laughs right up to the final moment.

Ah, the birth of a podcast! And what a labor it is as playwright Lucy learns that she is not the only one traumatized by rejection. This is a wildly funny meta reflection on the creative process.

What a gloriously fractured fairy tale! Gretel and Hansel scouts are but one of the clever conceits running through this most entertaining script. It is filled with laugh-out-loud moments and still makes real points about gender stereotypes and body image. There are four delicious (see what I did there) characters who are a delight to encounter. Any audience for this play will live happily ever after.

What a touching meditation on the power and the fragility of memories. Helen is the delicate link between her late grandmother and her granddaughter. The connection among these women is real and heartfelt and the dialogue is powerfully engaging. May the craving for pistachio ice cream never abate!

What a hoot! The animals guiding Nora and Patrick are full of pragmatic, if somewhat lewd, advice. These are not your typical saccharine fairy tale woodland creatures which is what makes this play so riotously funny. A treat for actors, designers, and audiences alike.