Recommended by Paul Donnelly

This is such a poignant exploration of fleeting connections made and longer connections lost. These characters are well drawn and closely observed, and the failure of their relationship just broke my heart. Especially when a former meeting is revealed. I heartily recommend this subtly moving play.

Well that was a master class in dark comedy. Parodying Hallmark Christmas treacle provides a framework for this play's witty dialogue and hairpin twists. It's just such great fun.

And why wouldn't the Savior of all mankind work in an engraving booth at the mall? And that's only part of the wildly off kilter premise that illuminates this most engaging play. The characters are well drawn and thoroughly quirky. There's wit in the dialogue and plenty of opportunities for physical comedy. As much as I enjoyed reading it, I would really love to see a production.

Pulling off a comedy about a medically induced coma and an attempted murder is no mean feat. The bifurcated Bellas are good company. Although I left wondering if Bellal 1 would really ever heed the warnings of Bella 2. Or are there more red boots in her future?

One doesn't have to know the players to enjoy this delirious farce. But knowing even some of them adds another level of lunacy. This is a bonkers love letter to playwrights near and far.

This spiffy romantic comedy delivers copious laughs in its brief running time. Broken promises and friendly consolation are mined for comedy gold. That the characters are cats is purrfect.

A witty meditation on the vagaries of desire and the vast emptiness of eternity, this play contains vivid characterizations of tabloid figures whose identities are revealed gradually. It's all great fun.

Jasper is certainly a dynamic and amusing central character, hiding his neediness behind an explosion of colorful speech. Ed and Elwood demonstrate their caring for him in different ways, but the connection between all three men is authentic. In a brief encounter in a coffee shop, they explore loss, connection, and the difficult process of adjusting to retirement.

Hope and regret butt up against each other is this powerful revery on memory and expectations. It seems that the hard-won knowledge of the future can't be transferred to those living in the now. The young couple's joy is especially poignant given that we are privy to what their older selves have experienced. There is solace to be had in the fact that the older couple's bond remains sure and so reveals that the young couple endure the disappointment and trauma life holds in store.

This most effective horror play comes racing out of the gate and then builds and builds to a stunning twist ending. Even the moment involving cell phones that seems to offer humorous relief turns out to be a trigger. I was held in this play's thrall from beginning to shocking end.