Recommended by Paul Donnelly

This is a gripping and disturbing portrait of a man in extremis. My heart was in my throat throughout, right up until the surprising ending, which was a relief but which also left me with great empathy for Abe. Abe is that most compelling of characters, the conflicted monster. His final act makes him a tragic figure. Abe's narrative is relentlessly harrowing.

Such a concise depiction of a romantic encounter gone wrong. What starts out giddily romantic ends up truly heartbreaking. This is a phenomenal achievement in so brief a work.

What a totally bizarre and completely captivating satire on the retail experience. From Kenneth's rhyming intro on this is a world hilariously askew. Audiences will be only too glad to follow the twists and turns of the narrative because the humor escalates throughout.

Chilling and funny, but ultimately really disturbing. A playwright is so hungry for production that he sells out his vision and his people. The journey is filled with deft satire, but Arny's choice is disheartening, as it should be. The play gains it's undeniable power from that juxtaposition of wit and moral imperative.

One woman finds herself while another loses herself in this extraordinary and engrossing play. From its erudite exploration of academic ambition to its clear-eyed depiction of the cost and the fear of early onset Alzheimer's, the narrative never ceases to engage and to move beyond facile resolutions. I am in awe of the craft and the insight that inform every page.

What a profound and powerfully theatrical play. The form and structure reinforce the resonance of the disturbing narrative. Questions of guilt and innocence and moral culpability emerge with thunderous impact. The accumulation of small, telling details (even the judge's name has biblical implications) raises questions that remain for the reader and audience to unravel.

This is a moving and surprising meditation on grief and loss and enduring love. Neil and Molly are clearly drawn and deeply engaging characters and the memories they share are exceptional.

This is a clever, layered, very meta exploration of the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and creativity. Any writer would empathize with MIchele's dilemma. ("Struggling? Who said anything about struggling?") AI seems to be too eerily encroaching to be the answer, but is it inevitable? All the Micheles wisely raise the question without providing a facile answer.

Danny and Eddie are complex characters who find themselves in increasingly more desperate circumstances. Their relationship is full of humor as well as trust and conflict. The specter of homophobia (especially internalized) hovers over both scenes. The presence of HIV/AIDS raises the stakes in the second scene. This is a powerful play that captures the dynamics of a friendship and the nature of their times with great insight and humanity.

Gwyneth Paltrow's head, indeed. Following a seemingly inexplicable breakup, Ben turns to his best friend Todd for comfort. There is much humor and suspense in their efforts to determine the contents of a mystery box which the recently ex-girlfriend instructs Ben not to open until 6 p.m. The contents turn out to explain the breakup, but then a second box appears and the mystery deepens. Or does it?