Recommended by Janine Sobeck Knighton

Such a fun mystery adventure fueled by heat, ice cream, and a potential dragon. And it's even more intriguing due to the fact that it's based on a real prank! I love the songs and the awareness and the fun opportunities it provides for the whole cast.

A quirky, fun group of characters on the important journey of discovering that they are unique and that their own gifts, talents, and interests - though different from what their parents do or what is expected from "someone like them" - are valuable and worthy. And serious giggles every time the lion opens his mouth and all that comes out is a squeak.

Having experienced that moment of "how did I get here" before surgery, Jean Ciampi's HEART OF THE MATTER hits hard and will resonate with anyone has been forced to look the consequences of their actions (particularly with their health) in the face. I also loved how the twist took the conversation to a whole new level of terror - I was left with a delicious sense of wondering just what would happen after the curtain fell.

When you're in the middle of the hardest moment imaginable - such as being a POW in a brutal Civil war - you can't help but think about what is most important. In Andersonville, which is based on the diaries of John Ranom's time as a POW - the answers revolve around family, friendship, and the little things in life that bring joy and happiness. A great reminder to take a moment in our own hard days and focus on that which is most precious.

A fun, campy reminder of the power of suggestion and firelight. The Sliceman Cometh transports you back to summer and young adulthood and the seduction of a scary story.

A love a play that gives you just enough to invest fully in the ride while leaving enough unanswered so that you want more. This delightfully ridiculous situation would be a fun journey for both actors and audiences everyone tries to figure out what exactly happened - and what danger is lurking off stage.

"You don't have to buy it just because it has a story": "Melodies of the Past" is a lovely reminder that the things around us contain the stories of those we love and who have influenced our lives and the power that comes when those stories are shared.

All the feels! What happens when, after a lifetime of working, you finally reach your goal? What does it mean to leave all that is comfortable and familiar and take that step into the unknown? Portals might be a story about intergalactic discovery but it hits home for anyone who has pursued a dream. Anastasia Wild raises questions that will stay with you in terms of what you are willing to do for your own breakthrough.

Dastardly Devon is one of those plays that takes a well-known fairytale and asks you to look at it from a different perspective. In a play featuring the three little pigs and the "big bad wolf" that is about bullying, you assume that the wolf is going to learn the error of his ways. But no, it's you (and all the "good" characters) who must learn the harm that comes from ostracizing another based on assumptions and perceived differences. A great way for kids to ask the same question of themselves.

It's always fun when you think a play is taking you one way and then it takes you another. An intriguing look at the inevitable fate that awaits us all - and how we will all choose to face it.