Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

Oh, Roger, call your travel agent and book a heavy guilt trip... and make it a very long one. Yes, there are stories from time out of mind about Jewish mothers and their life-long dedication to inflicting loving guilt on their kids, but in this case, well... it could go on forever. No spoilers here, but even with the quips and one-liners right out of the Catskills, John Busser has given us a story that is breathtakingly laugh-out-loud original. I can't wait to see this performed.

Words alone are a poor means of communication. We need connections beyond sound, and in this touching and powerful play, Jillian Blevins uses the telepathic link between a mother and her non-verbal child that not only conveys their thoughts but their love in both directions. Nico's world and his fascination with life underwater speaks so much about how simple moments of silence are as important as anything said out loud. This is a wonderful look at a world built on love.

The first day at a new place can be jarring and confusing if you don't have a mentor; someone who not only will show you how things work, but care enough to teach you more than just the basics. In this tale, Harmony is doing more than just showing Leah around and going over the basics. She genuinely cares for her as a friend and perhaps even more than that. And who doesn't need that companionship and caring, especially if it's going to be a long-term commitment? And I do mean long.

Oh, the webs we weave...Mick and Ernie are in the thick of it, and it only gets funnier and over-the-top complicated with this smart farce of wordplay and unintended therapy. Mike Byham has a great ear for characters and their intentions, not to mention a right proper handle on Brit-slang that makes it all the more hilarious. The actors will have a great time with this, and the audience even more so. And I wish this happy couple all the best.

Having been through the excruciating experience myself several times, Ian Donley captures this moment of dream/reality exactly right, with all of the hopeless hope and loneliness that comes with it. Not only that, he spares us all the drawn-out drama that could turn this into a tear-jerker, but makes it a moment -- nothing more, nothing less -- and letting it go for each person watching put it into their own perspective. That's a gift.

The trend nowadays is that the Jesus as portrayed in the New Testament is "woke" and therefore unacceptable to the Real Christians. This rather interesting take on faith and practice has been very well put into words by Don Baker in this all-too-true monologue. Preach it.

This little dance of characters doing their night at the museum production is a gem. Wordplay, fun characters, snappy dialogue that reminds me of Beckett (the playwright, not the priest) and absurd situations gives us a honey of a play.

This takes the teen rom-com to a different level... the hive mind. Seriously, though, the idea of passion about a cause mixed with the awkward dance of two youngsters opening up and beginning to explore the prospects of getting to know each other. Jennifer O'Grady does this with fun and sweetness, just like the honey they're going to make together.

Just try to get through this without a prickle in your eyes of emotional resonance. Go on, I dare you. It's not a tear-jerker; that would be way too easy. What Mike Byham has given us in this moment is a touching reminder that humanity can still come forth even when it's boxed in by our own self-imposed rules. Justice bends just enough to let the light in.

It's not often that a child can fully explain to a parent what it happening in their world, so they let silence and symbols, however simple, carry great meaning if only that parent is listening. In this short exchange between a mother and child, the moment speaks volumes, and kudos to Nora Louise Syran for giving it to us.