“ What starts seemingly as a play about a raucous reunion of old friends takes a dark and difficult turn when we learn one of them is very ill and is asking the near-impossible of the others. As the conflict escalates, these friendships are pushed to the very limit, and we’re left to ask: What are our obligations as a “friend”? And, what constitutes a life “well-lived”? ”

“ This play really moved me. It’s gentle and quiet and real. The characters jump off the page, and all five make significant transformations by the end—no easy feat in 60 pages. Sure, it’s a play about pregnancy and becoming a mother, but at a deeper level it’s about learning to trust, loving yourself, and being open to genuine connections with others—all traits of good parents and good people. I laughed out loud at times and teared up at the end. What else can you ask of a play? ”

“ Mr. Bennet’s Bride is a worthy prequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice—a fun yet ultimately heartbreaking origin story for one of the more ill-advised marriages in the literary canon: James and Emily Bennet. Wood captures the language of the time with perfect pitch, and like Jane Austen, finds the humor in the heightened manners. Her characters have a depth and complexity that makes them real and human. You root for them, and you mourn for James, whose own apathy makes his ultimate unhappiness inevitable. ”

“ A city bus driver tries to persuade a young passenger not to kill a rival. Logic and rationalization seem to have little effect on this jealous young man, and we soon realize that what this young man really needs is to make connection, to hear was that he matters and has value. Just a Bus Driver is a good reminder of the importance of engagement, of not turning a blind eye to the situations we encounter. ”