Recommended by Kim E. Ruyle

A clever peek into an uncomfortable conversation between Joseph and Mary just as three guys on camels are about to show up. No, Joseph, it wasn’t Moshe the candlemaker. It wasn’t Enoch the myrrh salesman. And it wasn’t Helmuth the pervert who was watching over me. It was… Well, you know the story. It’s great fun as told my John Minigan.

Darling of My Heart is raw, powerful, and well written. It will punch you in the gut. Wirsansky skillfully leads us on Deidre’s painful journey, covering so many of the bases of psychological manipulation and despair. It’s dark. It’s so creepy. It’s terribly sad. And it’s even momentarily sexy. But most of all, it’s just so damn good.

Charming, poignant, funny, and terrifically imaginative. What more can you want in a play that elevates adolescent actors and will entertain audiences of all ages? There’s great use of adult characters, breaking of the fourth wall, and imagery. Chelsea says, “This isn't bravery, D'Nova. This is merely survival.” But she faces “sixty-five roses” with an upbeat spirit. The weaving of multiple stories and intrigue is wonderful. My wish is that every Chelsea has a friend like Devon. Excellent.

Gotta love a two-hander like this! Such terrific dialogue. It’s crisp and funny and so authentic. Laura is a hoot, a CIA employee straddling the line between creepy and sweet. And Scott, the “broken” artist whose initials spell SAD and who’s moved in with his mother after a couple of divorces. You will fall in love with these characters. I did!

Icons from the 50s in the form of combative teens clash in a diner over the disappearance of the brand-new Chavy El Domino owned by John E. Good’s father. This is great fun for actors to play the stylized characters, each with their own motives and mannerisms. Some fall from grace as others are redeemed, and all is set to right as Peggy Sue delivers the comeuppance for one… Well, read it to find out!

Are demons involved in The Festival of the Saints and responsible for creating a hellish nightmare for festival (of the Stains) organizers? If not demons, how else do you explain exploding fog machines, glitter fires, a bumbling handyman, a priest in stomach distress, and an intruding raccoon? Maybe it just comes from Alles' imagination, but know this for sure, this play has lots of physical comedy, fun roles for actors, and, with Father Tom’s vulnerability, the saints have never been sweeter.

Read Hell Toupée. It’s like being motorboated by an angel! It will make your peacock flutter! Come to Momma for another hilarious short from John Busser. The man has a gift. Has anyone checked out his hair?

Everett Robert gives us lots to consider in Daisy Wheels. An immigrant experience. A cloistered and intolerant small Midwest community. Family tragedy and betrayal and a glimmer of humanity.

With dazzling efficiency, Rachel Feeny-Williams masterfully sets up this parlor mystery. The suspects, the clues, the intrigue – it’s all there, a clinic in how to write a compact, compelling mystery. Terrific.

Tremendously creative with nonstop comedy – one-liners, slapdash physical comedy, and screwball characters. While George suffers through it all on his day off, the audience just straps into their seats and enjoys the ride. Really fantastic!