Recommended by Claudia Haas

Words said and unsaid. Words meant and twisted. Words bringing sisters together and words creating tears to keep them apart. But then there are the memories that keep them together. In a world where crabs dry out, corn needs to be shucked, and ponies need protection, Syran creates a delicate balance of the ties that bind and the words that bend.

In a world of Mother’s Days, Wang paints a portrait of a mother-daughter relationship that will never be. As the daughter focuses on getting tiny tidbits of affection from her mother, the tidbits are not coming. Wang manages humor and light in a dark place where a mother’s love will forever be withheld. A tough and touching piece of theatre.

Friedman captures all the beauties and heartbreak in a life succinctly and sweetly in a scant ten minutes. Nobody escapes from an unspeakable sorrow in this life but Friedman finds light in the hardest challenge. There are times when you really need the park bench surrounded by whistling ducks and if you’re lucky, Agnes is by your side.

Anastasia Wild takes you for a wild ride into the contemporary dating scene. Quick, witty, and battle weary, three women show their survival tricks mixed with their honest hopes for romance. Wild ends this roller-coaster ride that will both engage and then make you wonder.

What is color and art to one species can be danger to another. What we perceive as harmless can be deadly. Hall’s play reflects not only our connection to the natural world but the times when the connections are tenuous. With a light hand, Hall gives us a tale of kindness and awareness of this amazing blue dot we call home. Hall’s ability to make us think without preaching to us is a gift to audiences of all ages.

As a devout sucker for the Golden Age of Hollywood and World War Two, this play grabbed me and would not let go. I want more! A beautifully woven character study who meet at the right time, Erb gives us a starlet and a hero who are wonderfully human and humane. The play has a heartbeat, musicality, and a tale for all times. You never know where an encounter will lead. It makes you think.

Norkin has proved what I always suspected: Steve Jobs travelled through time and listened in on conversations between Bell and Watson to invent the i-phone. It’s a hilarious, farcical romp through the process of invention. Opportunities abound for physical humor, creative props, and a chance for two actors to shine. Audiences will lap it up if they can stop looking at their phones.

A Shop in the Darkness is part fairy tale, part fable and part cautionary tale. Floyd-Priskorn deftly gives us a story ripe for these times. She understands what scares us, what haunts us and what in the end will inspire us. And she does it all with welcome humor, original characters, and a taste of the darkness which also bring light.

Erb’s exploration of friendship has no bounds. The use of a piece of art for controversy is what art is for. An in-depth look at how friendship changes through the ages - warts and all - is a welcome exploration of growth in friendship - even when it’s painful. A lovely female centric play for theatres and audiences.

A gentle, heartfelt, and funny remembrance of a well-loved furball. Priskorn knows cats, grief, purrs and the bonds we have with our furry family members. A few tears were shed reading this. And a few smiles also occurred. A gem for two actors and time well spent for an audience.