Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

A poignant memoir of a teacher who cares so much for her students that she strives to keep teaching even as time exacts its inevitable toll. Told over time, we see the growth of the students and their dedication to their art as the teacher passes the torch and becomes the mentor. Lessons for us all, even if we can't dance.

If you were to mash up Monty Python with the Marx Brothers and set it in The Doctor Sketch from "The Sunshine Boys," the royalty payments would be complicated. But in the hands and skillful fingers of Jarred Corona, we have a short -- as opposed to tall -- play that leaves no tone unstirred and no thyme lost. Bravo for the wordplay, the staging, and the inventiveness of this rapid-fire bit worthy of production and none too soon.

I admit that I know little about the films of Fritz Lang other than "Metropolis," which I saw years ago in a film studies class. But when I finished reading "Lang" by DC Cathro, I understood not only the ideas behind that epic film (the memories are still strong), but the man who created them. Cathro has created his own miniature of the expressionistic film in this character study of Lang and his wife Thea and the decision that he must make. In true Cathro fashion, there is no easy answer. Brilliant.

In extreme moments, we see things that aren't there, hear voices that are not speaking, feel things that cannot be sensed... but are they not really seen, heard, or felt? In this short and storm-driven play, Scott Sickles uses all of the above and then more: hope and connection and the touch of connection and a bond that cannot be broken. And as always, he draws us in with characters that show us everything from the moment they speak, and we are there with them.

The history of Hollywood often overlooks the secondary characters and their lives, often obscuring the reality of the events for the sake of PR and ballyhoo. But in this play that combines true history and reenactments of events through the lens of both the camera and the mind's eye, Tamar Shai Bolkvadze gives us a fully-dimensional view of the tragic events surrounding the death of Virginia Rappe and the fate of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. These are not shadows on the screen but powerful images and moments that will stay with you.

I share a house with a cat. She's not my responsibility, and the only contact we have, other than her glare of indifference, is when my housemate is away and she has made me her servant. To a dog, you are family; to a cat you are staff. Take the advice within this monologue to heart because Kelly McBurnette-Andronicos is relaying it from the source. And based on the stories of my friends who have had to accomplish this Herculean task, it is spot-on. And funny beyond words.

This is a breathtaking, breathless madcap farce of swordplay, mistaken identity, unbuckled swash, and just plain fun of the first order. Arthur M. Jolly never lets up, and the ride is so worth every moment; it's like the Marx Brothers teamed up with the costume dramas of Erroll Flynn and Lockwood and LaMont ("Singin' in the Rain") and threw in a dash of Richard Brinsley Sheridan ("The School for Scandal") and commedia del'arte. The staging is brilliant (as are the stage directions), and the roles leave no one behind. "The Lady Demands Satisfaction" demands to be staged. En garde!

The pen is mightier than the sword... or, in this case, an automatic weapon. In this powerful piece even the most determined interrogator shows signs of grasping the power wielded by a nearly-blind poet at his mercy. More than just a battle of wits between two well-armed -- in both senses -- opponents, J. Lois Diamond shows nuance, understanding, and even humor that brings dimension to both.

Families are universal, and that simple fact of life has been explored by playwrights from Sophocles to the plays here on NPX. But with Vanessa Garcia's touch of both gentle humor and sharp observation as well as strong characters, she brings us a family life that we may not know specifically but can understand instinctively. I knew exactly what Ms. Garcia wanted to tell me through them, and I felt every twist and turn and painful choice and even the moments of joy. This play may take place in a specific place, but it's in all of our hearts.

It only takes a minute to figure out the lifetime of a relationship, and Adam Richter does it to a T... pun intended.

You might not identify with either of the characters in this moment, but you know them, and that's what makes it work.