Recommended by Paul Donnelly

This is a powerful exploration of the corrosive effects of unrealized expectations and the disappointments faced in middle age. The dialogue between Chet and Dusty is amusing and compelling and filled with absorbing twists and reversals.

"Were all the shelters empty?" This sublime put down seals the deal that there will be no second date between these two men with very different levels of interest in parenting. A full range of issues around parenting is explored in a very short time in this thoughtful comic monologue.

Knowing the backstory of Betty White and Allen Ludden added to my appreciation of the humor and poignancy of this piece, but the humor and poignancy would still resonate if I only saw this as a play about the permanence of longing and the elusiveness of memory. The wistfully comedic misunderstanding between the two characters builds to a lovely and heartening moment of recognition.

What could be more touching than a couple quacking "their" song? There is much humor mined from Jack's some might say excessive dedication to his craft and from long-suffering Cindi's fraying patience. This play offers a funny set up and deliriously witty execution.

Wow. This play leaves its protagonist and the audience on the horns of a gripping moral dilemma. The opening and closing monologues are powerful and resonant, but it's the scene in between that gives this play its very real and gut-wrenching punch.

Yikes, this play is both creepy and funny as it develops an ever more disturbing narrative. Or does it offer a cautionary tale about the evolution of artificial intelligence and extraterrestrial communication? In any case, it is a supremely gripping and engaging work.

This is a fresh and funny farce about controlled dating in the future. Despite the contractual hurdles at each stage of a rapidly evolving relationship, there is still a place for chance and spontaneity to prevail. It also wittily captures the transactional subtext of much contemporary dating.

What a hilarious farce about two dim-witted thieves and a case of seemingly mistaken identity! The characters are a hoot and the dialogue quite colorful. Their initial confusion builds into moments of revelation that are equally amusing. A surprising final twist leads to their getting their just deserts. But what really matters is that this is a very, very funny play.

Absurdism at its funniest and most accessible. Gives a whole new meaning to "a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou!" The premise and the execution are both very, very funny.

Oh to live in a world where such a list isn't necessary. But since we don't, I am grateful to Cole Hunter Dzubak for bravely compiling such a resonant and compelling list.