Recommended by Paul Donnelly

The anxiety and contortions required to remain in the closet are compellingly illustrated in this portrait of an important moment in queer history. Hooker's study broke new ground among mental health professionals and we see here just how much courage it took for gay men to participate.

An engrossing meditation on the value of life when life is hard to value. The nuances of the sibling relationship between Shauna and Ryan are especially compelling. It almost seems as though Ryan finds redemption when Shauna makes her final choice.

That the build to horror is so subtle and unexpected gives this piece its incredible power. Lucy is an engaging young woman with a life of promise. It isn't possible to be comfortable by the time she has finished speaking.

A poignant comedy, filled with a mix of laughter and pain. What is set up as a passing of the torch becomes even richer and more resonant as a hidden truth is revealed.

This play takes daddy issues to dizzying, dazzling heights. All of the characters have amusing attributes and the satire of group therapy is spot on. The appearance of Dave's step-dad at the end is a particularly effective comic moment.

Who's hosting Jeopardy is the surface conversation, but the strong responses expressed and the way they're expressed reveal a complex undertow. These two eminently sympathetic characters are sublimating dealing with change and loss with subtlety that doesn't quite conceal their depth of feeling.

Billy's journey from hope to despair is painful, yet sneakily funny. Anyone who has ever been through any kind of application process should be able to relate.

A shrine can be a loving memorial, it can also be a stifling prison of oppressive memory. The shrine to Abby is both. We see the impact of loss and refusing to face loss on four deeply sympathetic characters trapped in a prison of grief. When one begins to break free it at first hurts, but ultimately liberates the others. This is a complex and moving story related with skill and empathy.

Riley has found a stunning way to deal with the pain of their abusive childhood. What starts out as raucous comedy quickly grows deeper and darker and richer as their motive is revealed.

Sometimes it takes a corndog to trigger a glimmer of self-awareness. Vesper wants an audience, Kaden wants a corndog, both get more than they bargained for in this comic gem. Funnel cake, anyone?