Recommended by Dawn Branch

FAMILY VISITATION is a heart-breaking look at end of life care and the legality and prejudice surrounding it. And it is done so beautifully, so achingly and with such care. It's hard to imagine the helplessness around a loved one's passing as being capable of getting worse; and then it does. Bravo Paul Donnelly.

CHARLOTTE'S LOVE is a sweet look at the anxiety that goes into not just committing yourself to another person, but telling your parents! Very lovely.

An absolutely wonderful play that touches on so many topics in such a short time - sexuality, family dynamics, societal expectations and the stigma of working class jobs. A classic identity mix-up, that I didn't see coming, with a lot of heart. With so many serious topics it could have been a very heavy play, but the lightness of it in no way diminishes the points made. Excellent.

THE FOOL is an interesting look at the cyclical nature of so many things - history, power, abuse, corruption. How does a fool become a king become a fool and why? While the Fool holds power, what responsibility do the other characters carry in this narrative? It's a surrealist nightmare with great dialogue that actors would delight in exploring.

This monologue presents a very current theme that hearkens back to a time that many idealize while dismissing just how awful that time was. Baker has written what seems like a contradiction - a monologue that is both realistic in it's depiction of racism and a monologue with humor. Yes, Velma is an awful gossip. But pairing humor with gossip balances the hideousness of Velma's racism - it's not preachy, it just is and there isn't an apology for any of it. And it's a really powerful piece for that. Well done.

THE FOLKS is absolutely a delightful first date. Absurd? Yes, but what first date isn't? This is a wonderful look at the voices we all have inside of our heads, how they can get the best of us and how to quiet them. The writing is spectacular, the details and banter had me smiling. This would be a wonderful production to see.

As a lover of traditional afternoon tea, BUZZ at first had me apprehensive (how dare we mess with the sanctity of tea time) and then laughing out loud (well, if we must). This would be such a fun play for its actors - a witty, contemporary, risqué short with a lot of zany options. Whether you see what's happening coming or not, you'll definitely be wondering what is going to happen next.

This would be quite the fun play for young performers - it's a story they likely know, but with new characters (and ramen!) to help them make it their own.

There's something very interesting about the unconventional workplace setting Arnold has conjured up - the cordiality of conversation as a mask for the reality of a hard life (monotonous, brutal, unrelenting expectations). And the end especially reminds us - things can change quickly, for better or worse.

You don't need to know a lot of military background or history to appreciate this monologue from Boyle. This short piece hits on something profoundly true of all of life's experiences - you can plan all you want but life will do what it will.