Recommended by David Templeton

‘The True Meaning of Christmas’ is one twisted little delight of a play. It’s so funny I had to read it a second time … out loud … to my family, who could not stop laughing. Ironically, now I want there to be an actual Escape From the North Pole experience at my local mall. I would actually go to that. And vampire reindeer? Bring ‘em on! This one is hilarious.

Wow! This is as unsettling as it is riveting. Ortiz has packed the elegant structure of her storytelling with oddly specific and interesting details, and an escalating tension that builds to a literal storm of nightmarish choices. Through all that, it never fails to be entertaining and, at times, genuinely delightful. The monstrous future described in "Honey Bee Baby" is seeded with small potent touches of humor, and even a few promises of genuine hope.

Clever, funny, packed with unexpected revelations and deeply moving, this show - which I saw in Sonoma County - is as full of rich ideas as it is overflowing with genuine emotional truth.

Some plays are as much fun to tell people about later as they are to read or watch. "Concordance" is one of those. I can't stop talking about this, especially with other folks who know their way around a cleverly quoted scripture. A rich blend of historical fiction and fantastical ecclesiastical exploration, Minigan's twisty two-act drama, set in an 18th century madhouse, uses hallucination as flashback to spectacular effect. Would love to see a fully-costumed production of this one.

I had the pleasure of seeing this play last year in Northern California, and then read the script just for fun. Both are equally entertaining experiences. This is a satisfying blend of astute literary homage and pleasantly-thrilling ghost-focused storytelling, with loads of heart and some very clever word play.
Though I suppose this might play better at Halloween then at other times, I have to point out that indelible storytelling such as this, whether based on Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Shirley Jackson or Washington Irving, tends to be popular all year long.

This is a tight, fast-paced little gem of a play. Brutally realistic, it downloads facts and context so expertly, through a conversation fueled by a rapidly escalating tension, we barely know we’re learning something along the way. Fantastic last second twist. I loved this.

Deceptively and cleverly written to seem like a fairly simple story of two strangers forming a bond (of sorts) under difficult circumstances, only to reveal itself as something deeper and more complex.
This one could stick with you, like the echoes of all the bombs (literal and metaphorical) that fall throughout this play.

There are some HUGE laughs in "The Final Scene," a highly entertaining blend of slapstick and character-driven comedy. I've seen this play on stage, and it is a true crowd-leaser, a loving and funny examination of more than just the day-to-day ins-and-outs of shooting a soap opera, but a tribute to the way different people can evolve into meaningful, if wildly dysfunctional, families.

"The Book of Matthew," a skillful blend of rising drama and effective comedic one-liners, is an emotionally rich delight, lovely and affecting. I have seen two live productions, and in addition to the cleverness of the writing, it offers several opportunities for actors to really shine. The central character of Matthew is a star-making role for the right actor. I highly recommend checking this play out.

I started grinning immediately as I started reading “Biscuits & Bones,” and never stopped. Short, sweet and actually kind of sexy, this offbeat two-hander is wonderfully weird. Whether you are into dogs or playfully twisty comedy, or both, this one will really get your tail wagging.