Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

Marj O'Neill-Butler has a deft and rapier-like wit and creates a very nice fencing match between mother and daughter until the final touche that brings a smile and nod of recognition.

You may think you've heard it all before: a young man coming out to his overly-protective mother, but the way Aaron Leventman tells it, it's touching and full of life and love.

By the way, David is absolutely right: character actors are the lifeblood of theatre.

A cautionary tale for our time but done with humor and sharp wit. Yes, it has the elements of "The Seventh Seal" immortal game of chess, and deftly done as well. But it also put me mind of Paul Osborn's "On Borrowed Time," where bargaining for life and death takes on an interesting turn. There's a human-ness in how Dominica Plummer tells this story, and it makes it all the more appealing... and terrifying.

This play hit me very hard for my own reasons, but it also has a universal message and love story for anyone who reads it or sees it.

These two people love each other deeply, and despite the struggle they face, their love comes shining through and proves that no matter what comes, they will be there for each other. It's both heartbreaking and incredibly uplifting.

The truest rendering of suspense in any story is the leading up to the climax, which then surprises and twists in ways unforeseen. Rachael Carnes weaves a tale of haunting and vengeance that builds so artfully that you cannot stop reading. And it leaves you wondering... is it real, is it imagined, is the mind playing tricks or telling the truth? Oh, you must find out for yourself.

The adage that you can't love someone else until you love yourself comes to play in "Lost Marbles." Eytan Deray's very honest and often witty look at the bumpy road to love and candid self-awareness moves along with the charm and fluidity we have come to expect from this young playwright. The challenges presented to the characters are real, the outcome is genuine, and the bargains they make along the way are what make you pay attention to the end and hope for the best.

Short, sharp, shocking, and sadly, devastatingly truthful.

In the banality of small talk in the aisle of a convenience store, Vince Gatton brings us a portrait of three people that will stay with you. The dialogue and the characters who share their slices of their life is so genuine and powerful simply because it is so seemingly ordinary. The drama that he brings us is powerful. Well done.

To quote the immortal Hawkeye Pierce (M*A*S*H), "to think I've always hated opera." But in the capable and loving hands of Larry Rinkel, it is a joy to read and ... yes, want more.

It takes someone who truly knows and loves the art form to poke fun at it with the affection that Rinkel has for opera, the grander the better. And for those of us of a certain age, Elmer and Bugs would fit right in.

You never know what can come from a smile, a momentary look that turns into a shared moment, and what can come after. Sometimes it's the real thing and sometimes it's just a moment. That's how Bruce Karp shapes this short play with a touch of wistful humor and "might-have-been" fantasy that may -- or may not -- lead to something. Very much worth thinking about, and I'd like to see this on the stage.