Recommended by Paul Donnelly

The Art of Martyrdom (A Comedy) most vigorously frees Hrosvitha from the mists of history and renders her and her work with power and insight. The play seamless melds the humorously mundane, the magically inspired, and the gift of her craft. We are taken to a world, not unlike our own, where women's voices are not valued as they should be, but in which, like Hrosvitha, they continue to create undeterred by circumstances.

Lost soul Cody finds a most unexpected source of rejuvenation in the much older Frances. Frances' vivid history pulls Cody out of his self-absorbed self-pity in a most surprising way. This is an engaging and witty two-hander, with well-drawn characters and plenty of heart.

Riveting and incantory, this play takes us deep into one man's experience living with ADHD, long Covid, and bigotry. His experience is vividly depicted, as are the characters who surround him in both his real and hallucinatory worlds. So much of this play left me breathless and in awe of its bracing theatricality.

A luminous memory play that endearingly captures the jaundiced youthful view of parents and the lovely connection the parents share.

How can Nick come to your wedding, Jonah, when he knows there isn't going to be one? Time travel turns out to be trap for Nick, not a gift. His palpable misery is as compelling as Jonah's frustration and Ava's acceptance. This is a clever story with a real heart.

Poor Barry has been done wrong by the world, but does this strangely omnipotent stranger have the answer to his problems or is she offering a bigger problem? Barry's conundrum is wittily explored in this well-crafted two-hander. Both characters are clearly drawn and engaging and the pay-off left me shaking my head at poor Barry's fate.

What a moving portrait of two strangers in pain who are able to connect despite their vast differences. It is heartening to see that a woman facing another terrible loss has not lost her compassion and is able to make a difference in a troubled younger woman's life. A truly touching and uplifting play.

Oh the pressure! As if the stress of preparing for child-birth wasn't weighty enough, these parents-to-be are forced to confront the awesome responsibility of picking their babies' names. A pressure exacerbated by on overly-directive birthing instructor. The concept of names going extinct is a particularly funny construct.

Boy is there life in these older ladies! Their efforts to remedy their palpable frustration and move beyond
Scrabble, even Sex Scrabble are a joy to behold. I hope Fireman Phil's good advice pays off for them. The humor here just builds and builds to a surprising, but very satisfying conclusion. Sheer delight!

A lovely concluding episode that brings the Bear's story full-circle. The wit we have come to expect flows expansively. There are few James Bond tropes left un-satirized and the Bear's heady life as a Lothario is most amusing. Yet the episode ends with a moving farewell that honors the seriousness of the first powerful installment of the Bear's saga.