Recommended by Morey Norkin

Philip Middleton Williams has given us a gift with these three charming pieces of vintage furniture. The property of a beloved family, their fate to be determined by an estate sale. The characterizations are unique and a pure joy. The Banjo Clock and Grand Piano always at odds, and the aptly named Love Seat always the peace maker. Williams, responding to a prompt, expertly combined nostalgia and whimsy. He found the fun and snap! The job’s a game!

This absurd comedy is quite a trip! A cross between Runaway Bride, Wizard of Oz, Mad Mad Mad Mad World, and something with a cow. Ian Donley’s imagination is on fire for this high speed chase with the strangest collection of passengers. Nostrovia!

The world’s premier pianist is dead at his piano. His wife, daughter, and manager are all passed out in the same room. All are suspects. Could there be a fourth?! Does Beethoven’s Für Elise hold the key?! Brenton Kniess builds the suspense expertly through flashbacks that reveal motives for each character. And then there’s the mystery of yet another character! If you figure it out before the final reveal, you’re a better detective than I! I would love to see how this plays out on stage!

Oh my this play is so lovely! Memories are brought to life in a traditional cafe/diner that is closing down to be converted into a juice bar. Rachel Feeny-Williams imbues this work with so much atmosphere and strong characterization I can practically taste the tea. This is storytelling at its finest. My only question is why isn’t this playing on the West End? Yes, it’s that good!

OMG! I was drinking coffee while reading this, and now I don’t know if my heart rate will ever come down! This is one of the scariest situations I can imagine. And imagining how it would be staged makes me absolutely want to see it.

There is no easy way to deal with grief. Religion, looking for signs from the departed, or just trying to plow ahead. What works for one may not work for another. In this lovely, heartbreaking play, Deb Cole presents a couple who may have found something that, over time, will hopefully ease their pain. It doesn’t get any more real than this.

On the one hand, I feel guilty about laughing considering the subject matter. On the other hand, this play is comic genius! The way these two characters get spun up by their own speculation is priceless. My first April Lavalle play, but definitely not my last!

Robin Hood has been a captivating character for centuries, but Nora Louise Syran manages to bring a freshness to the tale in this new adaptation. Weaving much of the familiar story (and some fun twists on the Merry Men) together with a love story between a young girl and an apprentice mason, the play, with period music, takes on a dreamlike quality. Fun for all ages to perform or enjoy from the audience.

Not since Mel Brooks has 1942 Germany been so funny! Ken Levine had me laughing from the get go and I couldn’t stop! The meta moments are just as funny as the poor translation. Hilarious!

A beautifully crafted play about faith, in this case through the perspective of Judaism, and its role in how we deal with grief. Ruth, a rabbi, has lost her faith after a horrific tragedy. Ben, a former shoe salesman/manufacturer, is searching for something in the faith he has never truly known. Wendy Graf seamlessly weaves together humor, drama, and religious rituals into a story that wraps us up and provides comfort as if she were giving us our own prayer shawl. Lovely.