Recommended by Paul Donnelly

Unfiltered Marcia may be terrifying to her date, but she is a delight to witness. As her projections about a marriage proposal and a wedding escalate, so does the humor of this very funny piece. I have the sense that Marcia will never learn to edit the expression of her every thought, but I hope she will find a partner who will cherish that very aspect of her most engaging personality.

This is one delightfully deranged story. The three siblings receive quite the unique inheritance much to the horror of two homophonically named spouses. The characters are especially well-drawn for so short a piece and each is wildly amusing. The concept of the sins of the father is given quite the shake up in this hysterical horror show.

A harrowing portrait of a man unmoored by the death of his mother. As his narrative darkens, we are left to wonder whether he is being tormented by grief or guilt. In either case, the dead mother remains a horrific and chilling presence and the narrator seems condemned to descend into madness.

Wealth is no protection from the societal pressures that force these two surprising lovers into the closet. Surprising, but entirely credible, as they are the antecedents of the legendary characters in A Christmas Carol. This richly imagined origin story puts an engaging queer spin on a classic story.

This tender and affirming play looks at the power of memories to open up the possibility of finding love later in life. Sam and Ray and their younger selves are sympathetic and well-drawn characters. It is heartening to see them embrace the possibility of hope.

Smart, sassy, and wildly funny - and that's just Ava. From the clever premise to the well-drawn characters to the hysterical dialogue this play is an unrelenting delight. As much fun as it was to read, this is a piece that would clearly be even funnier on its feet. And I will never enjoy gummy bears in quite the same way again.

The terror between these two students is palpable in this excruciating and regrettably of the moment one minute play. Cole packs so much emotion and so much action into one powerful page.

What a bracing, refreshing, and wildly funny antidote to the traditional holiday treacle. That damned little drummer boy is lucky to get away from Mary and Joseph unscathed as he wakens the finally sleeping Baby Jesus. From the funny set up to the plethora of witty lines, I can't stress enough how delightfully and consistently hilarious this play is.

As their secrets are revealed, the bond between Sam and Chase deepens. Each finds the one person in the world with whom they can share their deepest secrets while also maintaining a connection through the most mundane aspects of daily living. This humorous and humane look at male isolation and male bonding is suffused with hope and compassion.

A quest for silence leads to a lovely, unexpected connection in this delightful short play. By sharing their search for peace, Jill and Cynthia find so much more. This play is suffused with an uplifting spirit of hope that touched and elevated this reader.