Recommended by Donna Gordon

I'm familiar with the news story but this was such an original take. Using overlapping dialogue helped make the story new and fresh. Some of the lines show Rose's compassion toward victims of crime and I'm sure many people would appreciate this. Rose reveals the teenage mind and how easily such tragedies can happen: not because of the age but because of the perfect storm consisting of family troubles, those who influence teens to grow up too soon, and lack of supervision when it is most needed. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say lack of caring.

Wish that all parents could be this real. Adding humor made the medicine go down. And medicine is made to improve the health - of families, of parents, of human beings. Thanks for being brave enough to write this strikingly original script.

I hope the situation for women has become better than this. This is the kind of thinking that makes prostitution a "woman's choice" and "molestation" something that happens in low class homes. It is what it is, the unjust and demeaning method we treat victims of sex crimes.

This describes the reoccurrence of sexual slavery and incest that went on at Jefferson's estate. It speaks to our current age when men of power consider themselves above the law of decency. No one is above that law, and in the current age Jefferson's portrait has been stained by his private affairs - and that term, as Ms. Carnes so well reveals, is too good for this brutality. I admire the brilliant structure of three generations overlapping.

For those of us who have read about the Holocaust we can relate to the silences. Some memories are too horrific to tell. But here is another survivor who was willing to tell, even though it took her so long to gather her story from the painful fragments. I so enjoyed Rebecca's desire to look forward, rather than back, and the play's references to the neighborhood so long a part of this Jewish family. Lighting the Menorah brings light to any darkness that remains in this apartment inhabited for generations.

Humor mixed with deception, great combination for a murder. A cast of characters reminds me of Agatha Christie's technique, but this is definitely modern. Love exists but cynicism persists in the jaded hostess and the fortune hunting fiancé. Couldn't put this one down as the ends were all tied in a bundle of entrances and exits. I especially liked the setting in a mansion rumored to have a thousand bedrooms. This play earns its place in the pantheon of murder mysteries.

Reverse order is an interesting structure. Though we know the outcome, it doesn't make the details of the crime any less intriguing. The acts of human beings are imitated or reflected in nature, even the sinister ones. If we see things this way, and Hovanesian definitely does. He gives us a sight to remember, in a dark forest.

I've read many plays about WWII and this stands with the best. The main character Gisa is both courageous and vulnerable. She writes poetry, falls in love and feels fear. She also loves to swim and even shows up her boyfriend Paul in this sport. Being a well rounded character, we follow her every poetic word and move. This focus leads us to be a first hand witness to the times of the play: the early and gradual Nazi takeover. Paul is lovable and indisputably courageous, a great addition to Gisa's life. Other colorful characters make for a great play.

An unusual subject is covered in a clever and convincing manner. Choosing to talk about Russian women pilots is not something the average playwright could handle. But that's not Bublitz. She tackles the subject with a knowledge of Russian women, who value physical strength, and a knowledge of flying something like a glider. Into enemy territory, no less. The adventure was palpable and the camaraderie enough to impress the marines. The poetic touch works as much as everything else. Would love to see this anywhere.

This dialogue is very real and universal. Makarowski follows ordinary people through their up's and down's but covers the wide territory of life and what it means. Good writing shines through his monologues which have a way of raising the stakes of the play by letting us know the character's inner dimensions. Basic beliefs about life are not shied away from, because all of us ask those questions. Makarowski gives us a compassionate look at the struggles families face. This play is relatable to all.