Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

I saw the final performance of this new play at True Mirage Theatre in Miami. In the intimate space it was a beautifully nuanced production balancing family drama laced with humor to powerful confrontations between father, son, lover, and the lover's Cuban mother who has her own dramas to bring to this forest clearing. Ricky J. Martinez's plays always have a powerful element of suspense and heart, and this is right up there with his best.

There was an ad for Levy's Jewish rye bread: "You don't have to be Jewish to love Levy's" with a Native American man holding a sandwich with a big bite out of it. That was the image that came to mind when I was reading Morey Norkin's short "Four Questions" -- you don't have to be Jewish to get the message. It starts out with wry humor and first-date jitters, but soon becomes a very intelligent and meaningful exchange about life today. By the end I was ready for more rye.

Back in the days when I'd frequent certain drinking establishments, I'd overhear conversations like this. Barb may feel a bit god-forsaken, but it's all for the best.

Sometimes there is no Hell like your own family. Stories from the beginning of time have proven that to be true, and in this tale of confrontation between mother and son, taking on the roles iconic legendary characters, conveys the universal struggle going beyond the family circle. This tale told by Kieran Khanna gives the actors and the audience a powerful punch in a short, sharp play.

Knowing the work of Scott Sickles, I braced myself for unexpected moments of horror and transformation, and I was not disappointed; I was transfixed. This is a powerful metaphor for unbridled abuse of power and how it touches even those close to us. When Rini returns, she unleashes a lesson for us all. The actors will have a lot of fun and so will the designers, but the imagination and anticipation will really take charge.

I wouldn't know "The Conjuring" from "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" (there's some scary shit right there), but in the capable hands and twisted-in-a-good-way mind of John Busser, this story about marital revenge goes way beyond just divorce court. All of the characters make this come alive, boy howdy, and the inevitable twist/comeuppance that you know is coming will still catch you and get you to both shudder and laugh. All we need is a spooky rendition of "Hello, Dolly!"

What starts out as a tribute of sorts to the iconic slasher films of the 1980's turns real real fast in the very capable hands of Brent Alles. He gives us the perfect set of characters -- teens full of their hormonal hubris and know-it-all arrogance and bullying -- and summons up the truest form of horror with the unseen menace and vengeance. It's done with a pace and urgency that holds your attention to the very end... and I do mean end.

You do not have to have read or seen the original inspiration. In fact, if you have, you'll wonder why Samuel Beckett didn't follow Adam Richer's lead and write it like this. He calls it a "blatant ripoff," but having sat through numerous grad school seminars, not to mention productions, this short play does more to get to the essence of existentialism than You-Know-What. Plus it has a killer twist at the end. Oh, if only Beckett had gone to summer camp and sat around the campfire...

Have you ever wondered about the life story of the hitchhiker you zoom past? Where they came from, where they're going, why are they there? Does the hitcher contemplate the ride not taken? What lies ahead? What starts out as a meetup between Thelma and Louise and Jack Kerouac on Route 66 turns out as a very well thought-out exploration of life, death, and how fleeting moments and bypassed encounters shape our lives. John Patrick Bray gives us much to think about. Stop and listen.

Ian Donley calls out all the scary-movie tropes in this clever short piece that turns them on their heads and leaves us wondering how our willing suspension of disbelief can survive yet another Halloween. But like all good horror stories, this has an unpredictable twist with the appropriate jump-scare, and it works. Boo!