Recommended by Donald E. Baker

What gay man, bullied as a teen, hasn't wondered what he would do if he met one of the tormentors as an adult? When the opportunity unexpectedly presents itself--and the former bully reveals he himself is gay and begs forgiveness--Daniel has decisions to make: Forgive? Forget? Deny him shelter? Pay him back in kind? I hope Daniel's choices satisfied him as much as they satisfied me reading this well-written and very relatable play. It would make a fine addition to any festival of short plays, gay or otherwise.

New Mexico is the "Land of Enchantment" and "Tucumcari" has the sound of a shaman's incantation. To the two men who have chosen to sleep rough out in the desert its magic would be manifest as soft beds and hot showers in the town's selection of 1200 motel rooms. Well, since they are handcuffed together and one man has a gun, the choice to sleep out wasn't necessarily unanimous. Their conversation as the sun slowly rises reveals two very human guys caught up in an unusual and dangerous situation. Another fine play by Williams.

Important plays like this one bring cosmic issues down to a human level. Here five people marooned overnight in a dilapidated restaurant must figure out how to maintain their individual integrity while dealing with the constraints of society, religion, and the law and the vital question of how properly to prepare barbecued ribs. As the storm outside abates, it is obvious that some dreams will be shattered while on other fronts there is considerable hope for the future. A very satisfying, beautifully written play with memorable characters whose voices will long linger in the mind's ear.

The Book of Common Prayer says, "We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us." As perpetrators or victims, Scott Sickles' characters in this powerful play must deal with strong feelings of denial, regret, and anger resulting from sins of omission and commission. The background of a controversial college production of "Romeo and Juliet" on the anniversary of a love-triangle murder-suicide make it all the more powerful. A stunning work that will resonate with many audience members.

Scheming servants, bumbling masters, farcical concealments, disguises, mistaken identities, deliciously silly Python-esque wordplay, equally silly but also skillful swordplay--had Rossini seen this script he would have turned it into a comic opera to rival "The Barber of Seville." Inspired hilarity throughout.

So many questions. Who is the ghost? Is the young man a stalker? Of the several possibilities, who ends up with whom? But at least there's no question the ambitious understudy will replace the aging star. Right? Well, maybe, maybe not. At every turn, Rowan brilliantly uses our well-worn "Phantom"-"All About Eve"-"42nd Street" expectations against us. You do not have to appreciate opera to appreciate this excellent, entertaining play, but if you love opera, you will love the play all the more. Very highly recommended.

A woman in an ominous setting and a stranger who knows a little too much about her. Paul Smith doles out information about their relationship in small doses as their conversation leads to an gobsmacking conclusion. Excellent work and a delight to read.

DC Cathro is a master of the surprise ending, the zinger that lurks in the last line of dialogue or the final stage direction and leaves the reader gasping in delight. Here the build-up is perfect and the ending is truly the best of all possible finales. Loved it.

In this delightful take-off on Noel Coward's "Private Lives," first- and second-wives discuss the size of a French mastiff's "output," the invention of the "vertical fly," and, of course, the shortcomings of the former/current husband. The repartee is even more delightful because Jones couches it in a parody of Coward's idiosyncratic speech cadences. Highly recommended.

I'm simply mad about the boys in this same-sex reimagining of the first act of Noel Coward's "Private Lives." Arthur and Edward are wonderfully campy and waspish as the ex-couple and Sonny and Vincent are suitably hapless as the current spouses caught in the verbal cross-fire. Coward himself could never have presented the private lives of gay couples on stage. Bravo to Marj O'Neill-Butler for doing so in this delightful homage.