Recommended by Kim E. Ruyle

In a ten-minute play, John Kelly has given us a sort of coming-of-age story with well-drawn characters and authentic dialogue. It’s a charming story with a charming character, Bea, an older neighbor of 16-year-old Jamie. It’s Jamie’s story, and while it’s a delightfully charming story, Jamie isn’t exactly a charmer. She’s got a mouth on her, a tough case, and she’s going through a rough time after losing her beloved grandfather. With Bea’s counsel and in collaboration with her grandfather’s bees, Jamie sees a path forward into a brighter future. Excellent.

Soltero-Brown choregraphs words for the stage like Mohammad Ali choreographed his fights in the ring. Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee. Rope-a-dope. Jules and Nat are tasked with the daunting task of preparing Beni and Shea for the impending wedding. The four engage in verbal sparring ala Ali with lots of points scored and several notable haymakers. My favorite was Nat’s idea of sex at a wedding, but props to the officiator for the incomprehensible, hilarious monologue. Looks like Beni and Shea are headed for rawmance and wedded priss. And for that, we’re not pissed!

HR professionals are sometimes coach, sometimes cop. They have to deal with a mountain of administrivia and are caught between senior management and the workforce. They are often disrespected and disparaged. But you can especially pity HR Director, Monica, who has to deal with a frustrating, bizarre interview. Even more, pity poor Jacob who’s represented in the interview by Amanda, an overprotective mother in the extreme. Monica shows herself to be a competent coach in this case and reflects well on HR professionals everywhere.

Tracks is gut-wrenching. Bray has created a world on the banks of the Hudson sought as a refuge by local teens but that becomes the site of tragedy. The characters are complex but fully fleshed out and compelling. Tracks is spellbinding, heartbreaking, magical, incredibly theatrical, stunning in its impact.

Three Blind Mice is an honest play, a courageous play. Men talk with each other. I mean, really talk. About feelings, even. Friedman draws three distinct characters, each flawed but sympathetic. We’re rooting for each as we follow them from their serendipitous reunion at a funeral through significant life challenges, disclosures, and discoveries. Three Blind Mice takes us on an engaging journey.

A day at the beach is anything but pleasant for two couples, primarily due to the territorialism of Julia. Feeny-Williams avoids stereotypes and doesn’t hold back in portraying the women (Julia, mostly) as the primary antagonists and the men (yes, boorish at times) more often playing peacemakers. The escalating conflict and dashes of physical comedy give Weather it Out a thunderclap of a punch.

Yo! Tony. And, yeah, the other Tony. Ya gotta see this play! Must be written by some mick wantin’ to bone us with a funny bone. But, yo, this ain’t funny, man. It’s freakin’ hilarious. This play got it all. Kleptosexuals and poisoned pastrami. Yo, Stella. STELLA! Ya hear what I’ma sayin’? This here play is classic John Busser!

The creativity of Oh Levels is worthy of a big OH! Who knew there was so much you could do with just two letters, one simple syllable? Rachel Feeny-Williams knew, and she spelled it out in historical and comedic fashion and put a nice bow (OH!) on the end. Great!

Ghost story or love story? Who says it can’t be both? Afterthought starts with the feel of a horror genre, but as we get to know the two characters, we’re drawn in as the connection between them builds to a poignant but sweet and satisfying ending.

What starts as a low-key, harmonious conversation between husband and wife at the end of the day soon takes a turn, then another, and another. And with each turn of the conversation, secrets are revealed that give lie to the couple’s opinion that they’re in a trusting relationship. Despite that, it seems that they may nevertheless love each other. While that’s not certain, it is certain that escalation ensues, and that’s what makes this play so much fun.