Recommended by Paul Donnelly

What a worthy successor to the charming "Backyard Stonehenge." Underneath Mrs. Ferria's comic obsession with regaining her "stolen" stones at an ungodly early hour of the morning lies the unspoken fear of a woman afraid of losing control of her life as she ages. Mrs. Ferria is attended by her long-suffering nephew who is a model of decency and compassion, but who wants her to take steps to deal with the effects of her aging. This play moves from a comedic set up to a moving conclusion, followed by a kicker reference to the earlier play.

This play gives rich and glorious voice to Elizabeth of York who manipulates the great manipulator, Richard III. This is a portrait of a woman of great cleverness and self-possession rendered in the most wonderful blank verse. This play is quite an accomplishment on many levels.

An exasperated teacher seems to reach her breaking point with a clueless and disengaged set of parents. Her remarks are spot on and very witty. The final beats bring a dose of cold reality to the proceedings. This monologue offers a disheartening, but honest perspective on the state of education today.

E.M. Forster's dictum "only connect" takes on real urgency in this poignant and surprisingly funny end of life journey shared by two soldiers. They start out at cross-purposes in every conceivable way, yet dire circumstance enable them to form a sustaining bond. This is a moving and affirming work.

I had the pleasure of hearing this play read on Gather by the Ghost Light (an invaluable theatre podcast). From the novel. almost ominous set up through the awkward initial conversation to the ultimate spark of an unlikely friendship, this play is fresh and engaging. The subtext of how difficult it is to form adult friendships adds weight and depth to the characters' humorous interaction.

A chance encounter allows powerfully wounded feelings to surface for a young woman who has seen a friendship dissipate. Clearly friendships can devolve as well as evolve, but not without causing damage. The opportunity to vent feelings can also be potentially life-saving.

The best sort of farce, a simple premise building to inspired lunacy. The musical theatre and pop culture references are a particular treat. Five stars, indeed!

This play builds to a wallop of an ending that I did not see coming! Sylvia's bizarre attempt to cover the death of her daughter's goldfish builds to a crescendo of comedic guilt and self-recrimination that is finally turned on its head. This is a most engaging two-hander, with well-drawn characters and a thoroughly absorbing narrative.

A man desperate to fulfill his sister's dying wish approaches a near stranger with a novel proposition. He is eventually successful in persuading the young man to go along, but we are left to wonder is the young man just in it for the money or is there a shred of compassion in his agreement? These are two well grounded characters in a high stakes exchange that raises difficult moral questions.

There is such depth of characterization and such richness in the gradually revealed backstories in this subtly moving depiction of two very different dads bonding at their sons' soccer game. We are left with real hope that one will be able to move beyond his pain and authentically bond with his son. Enjoy your beer, Keith!