Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

What strikes at the heart of this play is the simple way these two people approach a monumental choice. By simple, though, I don't mean uninformed or unintelligent. Indeed, this play depicts the discussion in a way that cuts right to what matters most to them. It is not cavalier or dismissive, nor is it overwrought with the emotional wrenching that comes with it. It is real, and that is what makes it so powerful: the hardest choices made with few words, leaving us to grasp the depth to which it takes us.

It takes both a dedicated lover of opera and the skills of a great writer to make gentle good fun of the tropes of grand opera. So this tale of love and redemption on a Wagnerian scale is told with humor and genuine affection. The couple has their differences but it's nothing compared to the curse of the Dutchman, and his wise-cracking and wry counsel is a perfect counterpoint to the trivial problems of the lovers. Larry Rinkel loves opera enough to use it to teach us all about life and beyond, and love it while he does.

The assumptions we have about people we think we know can lull us into a false sense of security, and that's where DC Cathro leads us with this short, sharp play. Both Donald and Lizzie assume things about the other that turn out to be wrong in more ways than one. They also don't resolve themselves in a neat, tidy way, but then, neither does life. They have a lot to learn, and so do we.

Baseball has been called a metaphor for life. While that may be an overworked comparison, Mildred Lewis reminds us through this gentle and loving tribute to diehard fans that connections that are made by sharing a love for the game go beyond the stadium and the season. We share joy, sorrow, and extra innings... and yes, a beer tastes better outside shared with a good friend.

Two people chatting in a bar, catching up, comparing notes on their social life -- or lack of it -- and then, almost by accident, discover there's something more. No, it's not a meet-cute; in fact, it could be just the opposite, but in this scenario, it reveals a human-ness and awareness that you don't often see portrayed so well on stage and in such a short and neat way. I felt like I was eavesdropping on Jen and Matt, and while that may be unacceptable, I'm glad I did because I learned something about them... and myself.

The idea that the immortal Bard would get a notice that includes "Unfortunately..." in the opening stanza is ingenious, and Ken Levine makes it all the better with his celebrated deadpan humor.

This premise should guarantee admission to any short play festival (wouldn't it be ironic if it wasn't?).

It would be nice if we could re-write the past as these three friends try to do. But is it real or just an act... or something deeper? Are truths revealed, or is it just theatre? And if it's just theatre, doesn't theatre reveal the truths that can't be said in real life? It's complicated... Or is it?

This would be a fun piece to explore with actors and an audience.

You do not have to know anything about Hollywood or the star system and the people who made it work to love this tight and beautifully woven combination of love, farce, and recollection of legends who, when you get right down to it, were people with lives, flaws, and the needs that we all share. You may recognize the real people behind the names and events, but even if not, it is a revealing and loving -- and at times hilarious -- tribute to them and their humanity. That's the glory of love.

This is a very satisfying piece for those of us who sometimes find themselves thinking that actors are little more than props with feet. Jack Levine skewers the overcooked ham deftly and serves him up on a platter. And meanwhile, a star is born.

Normally apocalyptic stories do not get much attention from me because they seem to have just one outcome. It may be hopeful or dire, but it is predictable. Not so with this one, and I stayed with it all the way through precisely because it did not follow the trope. Kudos to Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn for her deft writing and thoroughly engaging characters.