Recommended by Claudia Haas

Robin Rice has endowed bowerbirds with a most charming mating ritual, a story of evolution and an acknowledgement to good old-fashioned lust. Clever and sweet, it’s a unique romantic comedy where the color blue is sexy as all get out. The play offers a grand opportunity to indeed play and frolic. An original love story.

Patterson offers some sweetness under the stars. Romance is tricky. Bubble dancers have a lot to offer. And when the camp fire is lit, one never knows what may happen. Maybe there’s a ghost. And maybe there’s love. A play about the maybes. And when maybes become possibilities.

Friendship: now and then. It was painful then. It’s painful now. It was also true then and true now. Rose brings together the truths of the past and present in a lovely circle. A circle that stuns a friendship. And a circle that allows it to continue. The play is a treat out of the ordinary for middle-aged actors. We Three explores the past and present with care and honesty.

This is such a delicious confection to read during these times. Small miracles, new love, endearing love - there’s a gentle and very funny reminder of what is important. And one thing that is important in an outdoor wedding ceremony is protection from bird poop. I love the combination of light, love, and a reality bite. In truth, the four sticks and a pillowcase for the chuppa would work. Among the silly, Suilebhan finds sweet truths. This is born to be staged.

The answer to life’s deepest mystery is expected and not expected. It’s angst and heaven and screeching tires. In McLindon’s play, squirrels take the reigns and ponder how “life works” or doesn’t work. Squirrels have a lot to teach us - if we are listening.

An intriguing satire where the world has turned upside down and women have (maybe) finally gotten what they (maybe) wished for. The consequences are a mixed bag of nuts as consequences often are. Thompson gives us a lot of snappy, sassy food for thought. You are left wondering about the just desserts. A provocative piece.

Hill wrote a play that is a beginning. There are no easy answers and none are given. The play illustrates ways to address bullying and acknowledges hard truths: there is no one-size-fits-all answer. And solving the problem all by your lonesome also backfires. Upper elementary students and middle schools would especially benefit from both being in the play and as audience members. Silence can be deadly. The play gives you a safe place to speak.

Motherhood in all it’s guilt and glory is center stage. Motherhood through an African-American lens gets even more complicated. With “ideal,” nannies, the “ideal,” motherhood, Thompson creates a world where it is impossible to be a mother. And you laugh - because it is true. It is real. Stereotypes have truth. Stereotypes can be truth. Blistering satire on motherhood in our new age of enlightenment.

Weaver finds the confusion, the lust, the need for teenage leaders in a silent but oh so loud Five Boys on the Beach. Each character is carefully constructed with an arc that uplifts and breaks you. This is a treasure trove for young performers who will find their characters in relationship to one another. Weaver shows us that some of the most powerful moments onstage are in silence.

Partain’s revenge-comedy gives you the slings and arrows of zingers. Yes, dating is treacherous, maddening, sexy, lustful and filled with traps. What’s the answer? Build a better trap. And you watch in delight as the characters do so.