Recommended by Paul Donnelly

An engaging look at the intersection of grief and greed in a mourning family. It is heartening to watch Dad learn to integrate his grief into a larger, fully-lived life.

Control freak Amanda meets her match in a mother-in-law who has discovered that's life's too short not to pursue her bliss. Even if that bliss includes pink-dyed hair, a nose piercing and a 30 years younger boyfriend. The generational shift between stodgy young person and free-wheeling older adult is illuminated to great comic effect. I wish my grandmother had been as much fun as a babysitter!

It's hard not to admire Edna's resolve or to empathize with her resolution. Her monologue is filled with witty observations and unintended humor. It would be delightful to see her realized by a female actor in late middle age.

So much menace hangs over so much of this emotionally gripping play. The energy between these characters is palpable and takes a surprising, but heartening turn at the end. This new understanding forced me to rethink all that had come before. Quite an achievement in nine brisk pages.

This is a harrowing, urgent and heart-breaking story. All the more shocking for being true. The ways a child can be manipulated and endure abuse are rendered with shattering clarity. The lingering trauma from such long term abuse is also painfully illuminated. Joey and his story will stick with me for a long time to come.

Three damaged people stumble toward and away from connection in this gripping and moving play. Filled with witty, natural dialogue and depth of characterization, this play is both heart-rending for its content and exhilarating for its craft.

A painfully hilarious (hilariously painful?) depiction of writer's block. There are many witty lines throughout, a charming helpmeet for our tortured writer, and a delightful twist ending.

This is a witty and engaging spoof riffing off Waiting for Godot. The characters each have their own unique quirks and foibles that are quite funny in and of themselves and even funnier as they bounce off one another. And I will never see Meryl Streep again without thinking of Michael Caine.

What a fresh and surprising look at the complexity of attraction. Among these three characters we experience the fear of taking risks, the willingness to attempt risks, and the value of acceptance. These are vivid, complex, and engaging characters. It was a real joy to share their most intriguing journeys.

Three fully realized and engaging characters deal with the fears that keep people in the closet and the exhilaration of finally coming out. Each of these three dimensional characters has a unique voice and a unique perspective. Brett's journey from fear to freedom is a joy to behold.