Recommended by Donna Hoke

Full disclosure: I am not a Shakespeare fan but I was RIVETED by a reading of this play (and another full disclosure: I was ten minutes late to it and worried I wouldn't be able to get into it), but it was so amazing, I got sucked right in. Okay, that was my reaction! But the writing is incredible, a brilliant prequel to Romeo and Juliet that has contemporary resonance, a kickass female lead, and that adds layers to the story we all know so well. Out of words but !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

This parking lot pandemic pivot is just the kind of play I'd want to see right now, when I'm sequestered with people I love who might also be driving me a little crazy. It's beautiful and simple and reminds of some truths that deserve consideration right now. The deceptive simplicity of it is what would make it work so well outside, but I hope if we return to theaters, The Parking Lot comes along.

Omigosh, what great fun!! Weaver pays homage to a beloved genre with cleverness, wit, and all the required hard-to-guess twists and turns. The large flexible cast makes this a play for schools and community theaters--one their audiences will love!

Day and night need each other, joy and melancholy need each other, and the Devil and God need each other. I was surprisingly moved by the last line of this play until I realized that what Weaver has done is show us difficult it is to reconcile hard-core differences with those we love and how we sometimes try to get closer by pushing apart.

Though at its purest a play about faith vs. science, this play is also about what it takes to and how we advance humanity which, in some ways, are thornier questions. Jordan presents it all beautifully through a female lens that aces the Bechdel test while simultaneously showing us how far women have come and how far we still have to go. Stellar (NPI!) work!!

A powerful work that lays bare all manner of assumptions and their inherent dangers. I loved hearing Michelle's strong voice in Pat, and Pat doesn't pull any punches! So glad I got to watch this and sad that this play is as timely and relevant as if it were written yesterday. Michelle's is a necessary and challenging voice.

A one-act that's going to be EVERYWHERE. I almost want to tell you not to read it so that when you do see it, it'll pack the punch it's intended to and needs to. Because it's a BIG AND PERFECT punch and I want you to feel it. But you're probably going to read it anyway and you should, because it's great.

As a former Jerseyan, I loved being in place with this script! The story and heartache feel real and will resonate with anyone who's had to start over.

A genius play that's going to cause a lot of discomfort and a lot of fights on the way home. By the time the car rolls into the driveway, let's hope some eyes have been opened. Perfect.

A holiday comedy about global warming? Leave it to Patrick to pull that off with lots of laughs and subtle caution--and star-crossed lovers too! Great holiday festival pick!