Recommended by Claudia Haas

“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,

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.