Recommended by Paul Donnelly

"So we're educators, not manipulators" is one of the great rationalizations of all time. Two women manipulate their partners into changing their styles of pickleball play for the sake of a friendly bet. It would be fair to say hilarity ensues. This is a very funny play, amusing even to those of us who have never so much as seen a game of pickleball.

Real intimacy so terrifies these men that it can only lead to violence. Sam and Brian share histories of abandonment and a moving memory of their grandfathers passing. They share the experience of creating art. They differ on the matter of religious faith. And all these surface details are inadequate to explain the primal attraction and revulsion that they share. This play gets at a truth that is beyond words as we watch these men struggle with multiple layers of feeling. It is an intense and honest journey.

A first date can be difficult. A Zoom first date can be awkward. A Zoom first date joined by your entire family is a circle of hell unimagined by Dante. Although in this case the family is a riot and Ezra and Taylor survive the intrusions. This is a very funny play and a perfect use of the Zoom medium.

Such a moving portrait of a love that transcends loss of memory and the fears of aging. A lovely, lovely work.

Well that was quite the ride. From the very bizarre opening through the violence that follows to the eerie conclusion, this play is unsettling, darkly comic, and utterly riveting. Really, for all the strange twists and turns and the disturbing characters, this narrative grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go. This would be unforgettable on stage.

When does the effort suck the joy from the holidays? That's the question at the heart of this witty rumination on perhaps doing a little less. The interchange between the cat and the ornament provides a funny counterpoint to the more pragmatic exchange between the human couple.

Chilling, absolutely chilling. I am still shaken by the concluding beats of this crystal clear dystopian vision. For such a short piece this packs one hell of a punch.

The hateful Elf-on-the-Shelf gets the comeuppance it deserves from the titular striking elves. The comeuppance is theatrical and very wittily rendered. A highly satisfying work on many levels.

Been there, done that. I have shared Jesse's palpable frustration. Meanwhile, the hand choreography would be a delight to witness. And the final humiliation is a splendid topper and also familiar.

The naïve Magi are no more savvy than some aspiring playwrights as they go down the rabbit hole of unethical new play production practices. From submission fees to participation fees to the "carrot" of a single meager prize, the magi are exposed to it all. This play is so painfully funny because it hews so close to the painful truth.