Recommended by Paul Donnelly

What a battle royale between the forces of joy and growth and the forces of fear and stasis. These are two vividly drawn characters whose disagreement is both funny and moving. Ultimately, Melinda shines as bright as the special candle she is burning.

The poignant fallibility of memory is movingly illustrated in this spare, almost lyrical, piece. Some of the patterns of word repetition and the short clipped sentences reminded me of Beckett. These two characters do seem lost in an existential void, despite or perhaps because of their mundane preoccupations.

A wry and witty elegy to the role that never was. Desired intensely, but never attained. Eric is sympathetic in his ambitions and in his tortuous journey to acceptance. The conclusion is set up well and is quite funny.

This is a moving play about the difficult path to acceptance. George must accept that the world has changed and that his grandson has found his true gender identity. Cliff uses his own pain to guide George to seeing that acceptance is a necessary part of love.

What a fun look at the lighter side of alien abduction! Xiernon manages to talk his way out of a nearly successful voluntary abduction. It was nice to see the near abduction bring a couple closer together.

A dark and moody period piece dealing with strained racial and sexual relations in the early 1960s. So much tension roils under the surface of every interaction and propels the narrative relentlessly forward. The revelation of a terrible secret irrevocably alters the lives of two female lovers. Powerful stuff!

What starts out a little innocent fun with Zoltan, whose initial remarks are quite funny, ultimately leads to the telling of uncomfortable truths. This script would be great fun for the actor who gets to play Zoltan. His deadpan delivery of truths that become progressively closer to the bone leads to several "Ooooh!" moments. The final awkward beats are quite touching. An imaginative and heartfelt work.

From the lyrical opening line to the tender closing line, this play had me in its grip. It's filled with vivid characters with deep backstories and compelling current day demons. As they struggle to connect or to embrace or escape their pasts, their intersecting paths make for riveting drama. The rich and near mythical atmosphere contributes to the weight of their spiritual dilemmas. This play is simply a towering achievement.

The act of stealing The Scream is its own existential cry of despair in this fascinating exploration of a possible motive for the theft. Both characters are deftly drawn and the situation is both sad and absorbing.

Well that was a brilliant exercise in misdirection. The big reveal is startling, but then mined for laughs. And there are laughs aplenty in this witty takedown of the officiousness of public transportation workers. Or one particular worker. I believe I will also turn to Uber.