Recommended by Claudia Haas

This play has just enough warmth for the holidays and then you throw in the magic and the music and there is cheer all around. It never veers into the saccharine (it's set is an airport which is the antithesis of holiday sweetness). The two characters are on separate life-changing missions and of course are derailed by winter weather. The gate agent is well - a gatekeeper. The dialogue crackles, the stakes mount, characters clash and then there is a song - and even if you are simply reading this - the baritone's voice shines like a star.

A clever riff on fan culture using two friends who debate their reading habits. If you started Harry Potter as a child and were an adult when the last book came out - but you still desperately needed to read it - you know these people. It's a coming of age tale with Harry Potter/Twilight and captures the nuances of these books as backdrops of a life. There's a lovely turn when you realize one of the characters is using the books as a gauge for his future. And the little surprise at the end - surprise!

Space exploration with a dog and a monkey has never been more entertaining. This sharply theatrical piece is told with flair and a whole lot of inspired movement. Monkey and Dog are my heroes! (And we don't talk about the chickens.) A beautifully-realized piece of truth and silliness that young audiences and their families will devour.

This is a short, taut thriller that starts innocently and grows into blackness. There are the usual conversations between siblings after loss: wills, possession, where is the yellow tablecloth? Denver has crossed a line and sees no way back. Chipman's dialogue sharply reveals their characters as the play progresses This sibling rivalry has a lot of sharp corners and just when you think you're going straight again, it twists.

A moving recollection of a baby's short time on earth, it's based on the 99 Balloons video that went viral as well as Matt Mooney's blog. It's respectful of the family and does what the parents want - it celebrates life. The play is fast-paced which only enhances how fast the time went with their son Elliot. There's a clever use of an actor as the baby which adds to the poignancy. The theme of unconditional love is welcome in these times.

Climate change is front and center here as two people deal with the aftermath of a natural disaster. You have to love that they are both good at natural disasters having lived through them before. Tuft finds humor in the pragmatic, emergency readiness of each character (who knew Classic Cola had so many uses?). The dialogue is swift and sure, balancing disaster with flirtation. This "aftermath-maybe-romance" has no histrionics of the day after, just a warm blending of "getting to know you" and a sly one-up-man-ship of who has the better supplies. A play for our times,

Eleanor is a delightful, slightly off-kilter romantic comedy. At a wake for someone the characters may or may not know, past, present and future converge in unlikely ways. Is it usual to use a wake as a pick-up place? Does it matter? There are smiles all around and some poignancy in the vulnerability of the unlikely couple. How wonderful to see some smart roles for older actors.

This is a beautiful play with three strong characters (two are children) struggling with the worst that can happen to you. Some gorgeous moments: little Lucy researching cancer cells, Lexy switching conversations from the octopus to pulling the plug on her. Burbano finds these brave fronts in each family member but smartly glosses over them with the chatter of every-day life. There's little sentiment but much love. You won't find a tidy bow at the end but you will be happy you spent time with this family.

Salvation Road presents a tumultuous journey of a 17-year old boy hoping to rescue his sister from a church/cult. Gregory beautifully understands the teenage brain in all its sweeping assumptions and denials. The play never veers into stereotypical "cult plot" territory. Later when you meet a former cult member, Cliff's expectations (and mine) have been turned upside down. The pacing of the play is lightening swift. The humanity of all the characters shines with humor and poignancy. With sweeping themes of intolerance (on all sides), this coming of age story will leave you thinking after the play is over.

This was a page-turner in the form of an old-fashioned mystery. I galloped through it wanting - needing - to know more. Palmquist's play is about so many things: unconscious privilege, our consumerism, our belief in our own entitlements. With stark imagery and magical characters, the play deftly weaves in and out of the past and present. A beautiful play about a woman coming to terms with her life. You are left with hope (and probably a desire to know Chico).