Recommended by Claudia Haas

A tale of a father-son relationship, of a connection lost and found, of legacy, and new beginnings using the past - Williams shows family love through the memory of books. The time- tripping is a bonus. The love is real, the bonds are strong and the use of the written word to highlight all rngs loud and clear.

You know those tennis matches where your head snaps back and forth as you try to keep your eye on the ball? Welcome to Alterman’s twisty, curvy, play. The players are well-matched and the outcome will keep you guessing even after it ends. This will keep the audiences at the edge of their seats! It’s a gift to the actors and audiences.

A powerhouse of a play - Delaney infuses his characters with humanity - German POWs and American soldiers alike. Cleverly framed by Moliere’s “The Miser (“it’s a comedy! - well, maybe in this version maybe not), Delaney gives us a bookend of a cultured society on one end and a beet harvest in Iowa on the other - with no judgements. The dialogue moves cleverly and quickly and the characters draw you in. While it’s an historical play, it speaks to us today. Produce it and listen. It has a lot to say.

Ken Love presents a story familiar to some and new to others. As someone who had a backseat to the murder of George Floyd, I remember too well the media coverage that differed from the their reports and eyewitness reports. Love exposes racism in the guise of the white savior and leaves us much to think about if we are honest and true. As I read this on Juneteenth, I reflect on what is next. Can we change the trajectory? Producing Black Fire could be a first step.

Donnelly does an exquisite job of giving us the nuances, the foibles, and the graces of relationships. He brings more to the front than LaRonde - he brings love and acceptance and and a sometimes bitter-sweetness that will stay with you. It’s a thoughtful, honest and ultimately charmed look at this puzzle we call “love.” Theatrical, playful, and honest, it’s a treat for the actors and audiences.

“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree…” Wait. What tree? Which tree? Maybe the poem is better than the tree… that was never there. Or maybe the poem isn’t written yet.. or maybe the playwright is having too much fun with a character who can’t see the forest for the tree.. or maybe you decide. Engaging, fast, witty and a treat for tree-huggers everywhere.

Maybe it’s an existential treatise on the merits of a snowblower and maybe - just maybe - it’s a beauty of a scene that highlights a loving bond between family members - seen and unseen. Or maybe it’s both. One thing’s certain - McLindon does an outstanding job of giving us the heart of a family amid snowflakes and snowplows. Then he throws a few snowballs in there just to keep it real. A delight for actors and audiences, you may just be pining for snow at the end.

A thriller that had me at the edge of my seat. Even just reading this, I had a strong visual. A visual of predator-prey where the roles changed and changed again. The momentum builds and the thrills keep coming. A stunning and powerful one-act.

A gorgeous meditation on the absolute wonder of being alive. Light changes. Nature changes. Are we paying attention? Syran is and she’s asking us to pay attention, too.

Nutty and cockamamie and daffy, I have too much fun reading Norkin’s plays. And the young in the audience and onstage will agree. Give me a big bowl of ramen and Norkin, and I will live happily ever after - with birds (no worms) and and flowers,