Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

The set-up is right out of every domestic comedy/drama that ever graced the stage from the classic Greek through countless sitcoms, so we are all familiar with the conceit. But that makes this play all the better because while we may think we've seen it all, the simple truth is that we crave this kind of story as a reassurance that love is eternal. The back-and-forth between Michael and Will does a very good job of telling us that they are deeply in love, and that is always a tale worth telling.

When we dream, when we imagine, where do we go? What do we become? The line between reality and fantasy becomes wider, perhaps even an abyss that we cannot cross without a leap of faith. In this lyrical and imaginative play, Dave Osmundsen gives us a transformative lesson in showing how wishes and hopes -- and fears -- can become real. At the same time he teaches us the danger of staying grounded, literally and figuratively. This is a truly transcendent story.

Sometimes the connection between two people is based not on friendship or even things they have in common. In fact, it's the lack of those things that can spark a moment where we realize our own humanity: its limits and its possibilities. In this short but very poignant play, DC Cathro's two souls find things in common to reassure each other -- and themselves. A very gentle yet powerful story.

I got to read this with friends in a group and enjoyed it thoroughly. Marj O'Neill-Butler has fun with the modern dating scene: the ups, the downs... sometimes the sideways... and through it all keeps the searchers hopeful but not naive. And the twist at the end is spot-on. Good fun!

Far be it from me to mock someone else's faith and practice. For one thing, I can't do it as well as John Busser does in this hilarious riff on the legendary nun who, we are told, devoted her life to the poor. But even saints have their limits, and Sr. Teresa, seen here bucking for sainthood by hook or by crook, shows her very human side. And if that offends your sensibilities, well, dems da berries.

Saint or cynic? You decide, but I guarantee you'll enjoy the inquisition.

This thoughtful and charming monologue from the heart is speaking to a generation, but I am sure that it applies to all ages, and Paul Smith tells it so well that even if you're younger -- or older -- than Mervyn, you'll connect with it. It's reflective, funny, and most of all genuinely honest and loving.

By the way, for me it was Paul McCartney.

Greek mythology makes much more sense than some of those tales they told us in Sunday school... at least to me: life lessons, consequences for selfish and human failings, and monsters with more than just terrorizing us into behaving like the rest of the flock. When the tale is told by a master storyteller such as Scott Sickles, it takes on an even more human touch, even if the protagonist is bull-headed. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) And in the telling of the quest for understanding, he lifts us out of mere fable and into the truths we need to see.

This may be a Christmas play because it takes place at that time of year, but the interaction and the spirits, so to speak, of the moment are universal. John Patrick Bray has a beautiful way of giving us very distinct characters that creates a tension that is palpable; old grudges and memories die hard. The gift, though, is more than just the most expensive scotch in the store: it's the realization that those old grudges and memories can be dissolved with a shot or two and the undercurrent of sweet music.

Having read all of these scenes one by one, it is only right that Joe Swenson brings this complicated and devastating story to its conclusion. What I was left with was a sense of how strong the human spirit can become in the face of crushing adversity. That Joey not only survives but grows up with his battered soul intact is worth being told and shared, even if it is hard to see. The dimensions of the characters is testimony to his ability to make us care about each of them. And the ending is a monument to strength.

Is it over? Is it really over? At long last, is Joey's nightmare really coming to an end? Perhaps... but promises are never unconditional, and even if amends are attempted, the scars and echoes linger.

Joe Swenson's history of his life as seen in this series of short plays is as much universal as it is personal. We the reader or the audience may not know first-hand what Joey is going through and what makes up his world, but it is impossible not to understand it at a visceral level and connect with the despair and hope in them.