Recommended by Paul Donnelly

This is a gentle, lyrical, wise and unconventional romance. The connection between Cleo and Daxon is as radiant as it is unique. We see the depth of their shared past and a hope for their ability to forge the future that will work for them. This play illuminates the joy and importance of true acceptance.

A moving paean to grief over a lost love and to the possibility of allowing life to expand in a time of mourning. It is not about moving on, so much as it is about adding on. Making space for a new love while never forgetting the old. Emma and Sam take us on a moving journey, with echoes of the past and hope for the future from the ghost of Sam's late wife. These are three carefully wrought and thoroughly absorbing characters.

Twist follows twist in this delightful comedy of plagiarism uncovered and other backstage shenanigans. As well it should be, the final twist is the most satisfying. The characters are wittily drawn and the premise plays to one of every aspiring writer's greatest fears. A thoroughly satisfying piece of theater.

Jim's efforts to help Molly overcome some of her many phobias ends up triggering one of his own in this endearing and original rom-com. Their mutual caring and ultimate ability to actually break a rule gives hope for their future, both in dealing with their phobias and as a potential couple. This is one rich and rewarding subway ride!

Nonna's sweet and savory story of love in the past warms hearts and leads to a touching acceptance of love in the present. The characters are vividly drawn, and their relationships are both real and engaging.

When one is not adept in the kitchen, beware the siren song of the "easy" recipe. As our narrator's comic misadventure canning peaches makes clear. This is a wittily structured and wildly funny narration of one woman's one and only attempt at canning.

Baby it's cold outside ,,, but that doesn't keep the amazingly well-defined characters from vivid, and in some cases heated, interactions. A range of reactions to the promise of a new year and reflection on the old give this play its witty charm. Whether reader or viewer, you are certainly at the right party!

It is hard to reconcile a celebration of the holidays with an exploration of profound grief, but Evan Baughfman does it brilliantly. Two well-drawn characters, with a realistically textured relationship, take us on a moving journey of reconciliation. Walter's change of heart is touchingly and effectively rendered. This is a simply lovely piece in every way.

It's not easy being a Supernatural Killer, especially in these three uproarious vignettes. The conventions of the slasher genre are wittily dismembered and the laughs come fast and furious. These clever spoofs would be simple to stage and deserve to be staged widely.

Santa is overwhelmed by the modern age and ready to quit until Mrs. Claus manipulates his one weakness in this witty ode to the holidays. Mrs. Claus is a marvelous creation and more than up to the task at hand. And what a delight to discover the Claus's first names.