Recommended by Paul Donnelly

This is a vital reclamation of an important part of LGBTQ history. Even as he faces death, Willem refuses to let the truth of his love be suppressed. The courage he brought to resisting the Nazi's extends to affirming his identity. This spare, moving play brings Willem's courage into true focus and leaves us in awe of that courage.

Poor wounded, heartbroken Ella actually needs to see that she dodged a bullet. Cora is the perfect friend to bring her out of the slough of despond into which she has fallen. This is a charming, funny play that is a delight to read and would be a delight to see staged.

June sits in a beautiful field of bluebonnets overcome with grief. June and her father are both real, grounded, and compelling characters. How June is lead out of the overwhelmedness, if not the grief, is the subject of this lovely reflection on the process of healing.

A sweet father/son game of catch advances to a reveal that is moving and heartfelt. The father's confession of his fear is truly shattering. So much real emotion packed into a short piece.

Bob uses an unusual collaboration to solve his annoying sibling problem. A classic fairy tale gets a dark spin in this deliciously macabre spoof.

This seemingly gentle coming of age story builds to gut-punch of an ending. Every word rings true from their first interactions as five year-olds (well, two five and one six), through adolescence, to the struggle for identity that fractures their bond. Always thoroughly engaging, this story has a gripping and shocking, but thoroughly earned conclusion.

This giddy farce builds from a seemingly mundane workday Zoom call to dazzling meta madness. The juxtaposition between stage Josh and Toni and video Josh and Toni is hysterical. The surreal conclusion is a fitting, but surprising, button to all that came before. All-in-all, this is a most entertaining short play.

This is a devastating portrait of a true monster mother and the lengths to which she will go to retain control over her sons. This family's painful history spills out over the course of the night before the mother is to be evicted from her home. This deadline creates a sense of urgency that spurs heated emotions. There were moments in this play that had me shaking and the whole of it has left me deeply shaken.

What a powerful drama of the costs and gifts of encroaching mortality, of trauma and healing, of grace and connection. This play is populated by vivid, complex, and compelling characters whose journeys it is a privilege to share. The sense of urgency created by Brian's ALS informs every beat. I was riveted and moved throughout.

Three recently deceased college students, each flawed, but striving, find themselves in a purgatorial dorm room. Their demon host sets a high stake quest before them. How they each react to the quest and to an exploration of their histories is the meat of this suspenseful, compelling, and often very funny play.