Recommended by Claudia Haas

I was set for laughter and was rewarded. I was set for The push and pull of the conventional vs the unconventional and a bit of it was there. I was not set for the “smiling through my tears” when I reached the end. I’m still smiling through my tears as I write this. Beach Wedding is thoroughly engaging with a beautiful reward waiting for you at the end.

Clever, silly, cute as the Dickens, Lermond serves us the great expectation in today’s workaday world. Lermond gets rid of pesky extraneous words, sub plots and offers us a Great Expectations that gets to the point. Great fun especially for these virus-laden times. Take a laughter break with Dickens revisited.

Old times meet new times in acronyms. SMD is a fun meeting of generations, a passing down of family lore and a good old comedy celebrating all the things we don’t want to talk about. Zamoyta offers wonderful roles for two generations and a sweet, comedic bond between grandfather and grandson. Original and charming.

Oh how the anxiety builds in this play. I was Jesse - not understanding techno-speak bur hoping that the new being heralded in was good. But how can you know? Will we ever know? Bernstein unleashes a world where we hope for the best without complete understanding. Which is scary enough. A farce of our brave new world which is beyond our ken. Audiences will relate.

Strayer gives us a ghost story of Christmases well loved and past. New traditions are hard. Memories are hard but Strayer’s characters navigate the new while tiptoeing around the old. Ghost Story is an endearing fable of coming to terms with the new without forgetting what happened before. This would be a well-loved addition to a holiday themed festival.

Writing is dangerous. There’s poverty, your browsing history and oh - did I mention murder? This is a wicked little dark play that takes place in an attic.. or a depraved mind ... or both. As the erudite Dead Body notes, there’s a bit of Edgar Allen Poe happening here. The attic is only the beginning. When was the last time you rooted for the murderer? Enjoy the horror!

What I did for love ..(and probably shouldn’t) packs a punch. How far will you go to help a friend? A friend that you love? What Friends Are For goes deep into the shadows to test a friendship. Oh the reveals! The secrets and yes, the fun. I would love to be in the audience as this unfolds.

Martin really takes the one minute time frame and develops an intense minute of longing, hope and fear. That very last line? That one solitary word? Perfection.

A teacher’s answer to new school implementations leave you shaking - how did our schools devolve into this? Sparse and true, One in the Chamber succinctly gives us a glimpse into the new world order coming to those who work in education. The last words from the teacher says it all. Burdick’s play should be on all stages and in school board meetings.

A poignant and poetical coming of age story that gives way to light and darkness. As Then-Self searches for care and love, life in all forms happens. These happenings titillate, startle, sing and bring sorrow and hope. It’s an imaginative journey of the circle of life told with wings and lights. Omorotionmwan offers a feast of theatricality for all artists.