Recommended by Paul Donnelly

A lovely meditation on the afterlife as a point of ending and a point of departure. The family connection between one recently deceased soul and one soul waiting to be born is movingly revealed. There's also plenty of humor and, of course, memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Poor Desdemona followed her passion and paid the ultimate price. She returns to offer advice to save others from her ill-fated path. But will anyone consumed by love/lust ever really listen to their father?

Like all great farces, Physical Education builds reveal upon reveal and complication upon complication. The simple premise of a young couple in love seeking parental permission to marry explodes into a jumble of complex relationships among the various characters. Efforts to maintain secrets are especially comical, but the entire piece builds wittily to a rip-snorting climax.

These four students face the daunting task of reviewing a well-known historical case and evaluating it in terms of contemporary protocols and procedures. Their clearly delineated personalities and the subtext of their relationships add texture and interest to their work together. The Ruth Ellis case is riveting and the application of modern standards raises many questions about the case. The unresolved curtain will certainly lead to animated debate among readers and audience members.

There are memories that conjure sweet sepia-toned nostalgia and memories that scald and burn into the present. "Guten Tag, Baby" has both. Four vividly drawn characters make their way though memories that are overfamiliar and memories that offer shocking revelations. We are left to wonder how or if Vivienne will incorporate her new knowledge into her current life. This is a splendidly crafted and affecting work.

How satisfying to see a smug, insufferable, misogynistic prick get his just desserts. Mark is appalling and totally credible. Sophie and Marnie prove to be worthy foils. I also enjoyed the spirited defense of playwriting as a art.

What seems like a fiendishly clever satire on the foibles of a novice author turns out to be something else entirely with a witty reversal. Ben's neediness is palpable and Tara's dilemma is highly sympathetic. I enjoyed Lit Crit tremendously.

Poor lonely, abandoned, and hurt Elise is not feeling the holiday spirit. It takes Clara, a long abandoned Christmas-tree topper, to help her see the light. Elise is sympathetic and Clara is a comedic gem. This is a sometimes wistful, sometimes witty celebration of Christmas traditions and personal redemption.

This is a painfully funny and very realistic slice of contemporary life. The father's frustration with technology and the child's frustration with the father are both vividly rendered. Things move along at quite the brisk clip as all the frustration builds, but ultimately the family bond endures. True confession, replace child of with niece and we have a portrait of a call I have been part of.

Devastating. Utterly devastating. It is painful to consider that the lockdown drills so vividly rendered are actually a part of life for students today. The progression from five to seventeen is well-articulated. The final scene is almost unbearable for its intensity and the unspoken tragic potential. This is a powerful, important and compelling work that should be seen widely. I hope many high school students take up the offer to perform this play royalty free.