Recommended by Lee R. Lawing

What would any of us do in this situation which is one of the most horrible any of us could possibly experience, the murder of a friend or family member. It would definitely re-set the rules most of us live by. It would also open up a door about who we would trust since most everyone we encountered could seem possible of those most horrible of crimes. Real people and real dialogue pepper this drama by Kaminski and we can all be grateful we just have to experience it on stage and not in real life.

A heartbreaking and so so beautiful play. This one hits so hard as a parent, as most of us fear something like this happening--our child being taken or kidnapped and you wouldn't know where they went or who they were with or dead. Joey's strength of creating a world that he can survive in is one of the most devastating plays I've read.

Most people love to eat. It's something that's engrained into us from both and our need for sustenance moves our love as we get older. As humans, we love to share our food with others. The mystery of this meal that Smith and Jones are having surrounds the reader like a cloak that they want to pull tight around themselves as a sort of protection to ward off the ending and what this meal means to both of the participants.

An unusual break-up story and very funny to boot and despite the freedoms that gay men seemed to have had back in the day when they could move in and out of relationships like they were a pez dispenser, we've gotten a lot more suzy home-maker about things and and shall I say Heterosexual about it all when it comes to relationship in general but despite this, they still hurt like hell when they end and thank goodness for plays like Strafford's when we need a laugh during those heartbreaking moments.

In this dream like play Corrigan offers us a purgatory that is at once familiar to us and also very comforting as we watch Mary and Walter confronting and hoping for what seems to be their own fate in this world, or maybe just an end of one day that will bleed into the next one on a forever time-loop.

Wouldn't it be nice if we all just could not have to worry about money in any way. That may be an Utopian ideal for society, but taking away money as a concept would be a great place to start in moving toward an equality, Harper plays with the value of money and how important it is to us when we are earning it and when we aren't like Michael which I like the fact that this character is named Michael which was an angel's name and just a reminder that perhaps a high power is always watching.

It's so hard to fight what the heart thinks it wants to love and even harder for those who sit by as a friend listening to those who cry in the friend's arms when that friend loves the person as hard as this best friend loves Elyssa, it's heart-wrenching and we are left wondering if she stays or leaves at this last moment when he opens his eyes and we are left at the very moment in time without any resolution except for what we hope might be, knowing it's a 50/50 chance either way when it comes to declarations.

Toxic customers are sometimes fun to read and write about, but knowing Andy's predicament and need to pee makes this almost painful to read. But oh so funny! Malone takes "that" customer that we've all experienced and amped up the ante with a need to take a bathroom break by the barista. No tip necessary with this winner.

A sweet, sweet monologue that says a lot more about what are the thoughts of others and more specially our pets. I sometimes feel I know every one, but then something happens and I realize that I'll never really know and that's OK as long as I have monologues like this one keeping me in the loop!

All artists are probably their own worst critic and Scott Jones play gives us one such artist hitting a wall with anxiety and depression and alcoholism where he confronts his inner demons and has a "come to jesus" moment of realizing what he's done and how far he's gone with it and has now ended up trapped in his nightmare of regret.