Recommended by Paul Donnelly

What a hoot! As we learn from the last line, the poor Scary Monster never stood a chance. This is a great example of the comedy to be found in upended expectations. The person should be scared, but ... well, read it and see.

A clever and charming repurposing of memorable fictional dialogue. It is easy to see why Maggie would be charmed by Edward and amusing that this is not her first such relationship.

Poor Madison really can't go home again. In spare, evocative language, Samantha Marchant crafts a powerful narrative of a mother and daughter who have lost touch struggling to reconnect. Or connect anew. The connection they end up making is dark and creepy and built to with enormous subtlety.

A touching portrait of a woman struggling with the loss of her husband and the losses to her family which preceded his demise.

A vivid take on the seduction of Eve to taste of the forbidden fruit. All four characters are well drawn and each has a clear and distinct agenda.

Poor Mrs. Lennox has to maintain an appropriate professional and nurturing demeanor in the face of some overly literal and some non sequiturish costuming choices made by her young charges. The kids are realistic and endearing and this play is quite charming.

From its hysterical opening image to its surprisingly touching conclusion, this play is consistently engrossing. As stakes raise and change, the four vividly drawn characters reveal more compelling dimensions. It is indeed and unmistakably the play with the butt-plug, but it is ultimately quite a bit more.

What a powerful examination of the personal cost of isolation. This play incisively captures the zeitgeist of our recent past through two compelling characters facing a difficult situation and a vital choice.

Leslie certainly doesn't know she needs a chorus at the start of this delightful two-hander. Jordan thinks having a chorus providing florid narration is always good for what ails ya. Their journey to equilibrium is filled with witty misunderstandings and dialogue at cross purposes.

Suspicious and jealous Evan thinks he's going to catch his wife in an affair. Or is he hoping to? Does Evan want the marriage or the freedom to carry on like his divorced friend, Dave? Evan's misconduct and his wife's forbearance are funny enough, but the ending(s) take things to another level. (I vote for ending 1.)