Recommended by Donna Gordon

Couldn't put this one down...Yes, indeed, this is a very unusual point of view. It was so interesting that the mother who lost her son was so intuitive about his killer. The dialogue is realistic and the writer does much with just a few characters. Also, this wasn't violent and would be viewable to a young adult audience.

Ms. Wilder tackles a difficult subject, dying, with humorous finesse. Her gallows humor is ever present. She turns tragedy into triumph in everyday language. This play is about an orchard, and how death is a part of the ongoing life cycle. A most unusual play with a poetic theme.

I am an admirer of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood and I enjoy seeing it so well presented. The painters in this group were wonderful and Ms. Diaz portrays their geniuses in stark reality. She explores questions about creativity that are easy to imagine these painters would have. They suffer for their talent: they see their muse Elizabeth Siddal, suffer and they find their theories about art turning their canvases into nightmares. The play is surreal, but memorable to the artist.

This is a very imaginative play and it is also prophetic. It touches on the topic of women's place in society although the era is Victorian. I love historical plays and this doesn't disappoint: the dialogue is convincing as the polite conversation of this age. The math is fascinating and an accomplishment for both character and writer. Here's a challenge for the intellect that is one of the most entertaining plays I have read. And Ms. Gunderson even adds romance.

This is one of those plays that moves you to tears. It is a statement about so many things: the war, PTSD, how war aggravates mental illness, and how women won the vote. It has the historical context of post WWI, and though this is a wide subject, Ms. Welsbacher manages to pare it down nicely. It is a story about a husband and wife going through the trauma of mental illness alone until a doctor is willing to face his future without fear. Many nice touches here, and the writing is flawless.

Love the condensing of history into a full well-chosen phrases. In fact, this play is eminently clever and well-written. The texture is complex but the writing flows well through it. Using the older woman as a kind of conscience for the young woman is very effective. Such knowledge of schizophrenia is hard to come by, and, as it turns out, living with a schizophrenic seems impossible. The theme is presented through a unique use of flashbacks. Would love to see this produced.

Glad this was chosen as part of the International Women's Voices Day. The staging is complex but adds interest to the nationalistic theme. The Jewish problem turns out to be no problem at all if we stay true to the American ideal of all races and nationalities welcomed to our shores. The force of prejudice without reason is shown to be a powerful wedge between justice and savagery. This is a powerful statement for the equality of all peoples and their right to a peaceful existence.

Love the use of birds in this allegorical piece. The tragedies that can occur in teenage romances are hauntingly portrayed. Confusion, inability to commit, desire to please others - all these emotional upheavals are part of the relationship here. Through it all, this is a beautiful statement about love at any age: the unbelievable becomes believable.

Very dynamic dialogue. The present tragedy touches the sisters memories so that much is spilled in this kitchen. I enjoyed the humor very much and believability was hard to come by, with an eight year lapse between these two, but Ms. Femia made secrets all too real.

Great juxtaposition of the individual and his culture. The main character, through Ms. Pascal's clever staging, ends up being humorous although his subjects of conversation are not humorous. Another great touch.