Recommended by Paul Donnelly

Ludwig Van Beethoven, Carl Reiner and W.C. Fields walk into a bar ... well actually they materialize in a bedroom and the hilarity level exceeds anything that popular set up might suggest. This is an original and laugh-out-loud funny reflection on creativity and humor and the price of taking the wrong little pill.

This is an absorbing and original reflection on the process of growing u - the markers, the frustrations, the actions. It builds to a laugh-out-loud and especially resonant final line.

This is a moving and honest portrait of three men connecting at midlife and working through the challenges their differing life experience pose to their deepening connection. They attempt to support one another, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing as in real life, through major life crises. This is a sometimes raw, sometimes heartening, but always compelling narrative.

A clever dissection of a competition between two great magicians that may last for all eternity. Poor Amber not only discovers she's dead, but also that she's stuck with these two. The question remains, will she ever succeed in mediating between them?

How lovely to see a healthy and nurturing parent/child relationship in action. Lisa's distress is palpable and her mother's efforts to alleviate it are heartfelt and ultimately effective. It seems that "Does it bring you joy?" depends on how one defines joy.

A tarot reading for skeptical Brooklyn serves to breakdown her internal barriers and reveals a profound internal truth. This engaging two-hander unfolds naturally as Brooklyn's resistance builds then crumbles. The surprise ending seems to offer the harmony and happiness predicted by the last card.

This achingly funny encounter between the titular people at a New Year's Eve party subverts every expectation of a holiday rom-com. Even the self-awareness which keeps them from connecting is wittily rendered. The SLP are vividly portrayed and completely engaging to this reader, if not to each other.

A potent exploration of the moral compromises that can be made, even at a very young age, to maintain a comfortable life. For this man knowledge is not power, but rather the source of a lifetime of guilt.

What starts out a creepy, but familiar, horror trope gains emotional heft as the secret of the space is revealed. The horror of the present doesn't hold a candle to the revealed horror of the past. This thoroughly gripping play offers a compelling mystery with a deeply disturbing backstory.

Ben's dating plans go wildly awry in this delightful comedy of contemporary manners. The twists and turns and reversals of this most engaging narrative are a delight to follow. This play is most deserving of the honors it has received. I hope it sees many more productions.