Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

Even in a reading at the Valdez Theatre Conference with no set and reading from music stands, this short, sharp, and terrifying play pulls you in, then, like the spider to the fly, takes you to a shattering conclusion. On the level of the best Hitchcock for suspense and visceral reaction.

This is a deeply affecting story of a family in the throes of change and using baseball as the metaphor for their trials and victories. Douglas Gearhart’s use of imagery and personal feelings makes this play an amazing piece of theater, and it was mesmerizing in its reading at the Valdez Theatre Conference. Just imagine what it would look like in a full stage production. I am still in awe of this magnificent play.

I think that everyone growing up can compile the same list, along with the counterpart of the Ten Things I Hate About Growing Old(er). But Cole Hunter Dzubak's list is at once unique and breathtakingly liberating and I admire him no end for putting it out there. My only regret is that he tells us that it took him a while to generate the courage to do it. I wish that he and every queer being could feel the freedom to write up a list like this and tell the world if they want.

The life-changing diagnosis of cancer changes not just the patient but also impacts the family, each member infected in their own way even if their physical health is unchanged. Laura Pfizenmayer relates her own experience with heart and soul, bringing her family to life and in full dimension. Seeing their reaction and the actions they take to support the patient tells us so much about them and the family. It was read at the Valdez Theatre Conference with a stellar cast and excellent direction, and deserves a production.

Three is not a crowd in this funny and charming one-act with three characters who are meant for each other… or are they? They find their way to each other by exploring their own feelings and their entwined past, and what may happen. I saw a reading of it at the Valdez Theatre Conference, and it was greeted with well-earned laughs and love.

Lanie's decision to blow town is tough. She's surrounded by people who all want something from her, and her choice of a new life is no bed of roses. But she knows that if she doesn't go, she'll never go, and she'll end up like the people she's trying to leave behind. Douglas Gearhart writes in a tense and taut style that keeps your attention because there's nothing predictable about these strongly-drawn characters, and he deftly avoids tropes and stereotypes. This would be a powerful piece for actors in every role.

Twisted, weird, hilarious, and a tad -- scratch that -- just plain bizarre with a generous helping of Hitchcock, Serling, Lenny Bruce and Marx Brothers make up this collection of short plays by John Busser. Take them one at a time or all at once, either way you will enjoy them to no end. I can't imagine what this would be like fully staged, so that is what must happen here. Order your copy through Next Stage Press now, or face the consequences.

That baseball is a metaphor for life and growing up is not a new idea, and yet I love the way storytellers come up with new ways to make it seem as fresh and real as if we're discovering it for the first time. Stephen Kaplan's short and loving play combines several stories -- from "Angels in the Outfield" to "Field of Dreams" and even a bit of "Damn Yankees" and "A League of Their Own" -- to show how Tim grows up and out in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. It's a grand slam.

If there's anything that we've learned in politics -- and human interaction -- it is that it's the small stuff, the forgotten gestures or moments that can destroy the best-laid plans. In this well-crafted reunion between two college classmates, both of their futures hang in the balance. This would be a great piece for two actors to show their skills as understated but still powerful roles can make for great dramatic tension.

A collection of short plays that together give us a vision of what Hell is really like: missed opportunities, lost love, unsatisfying vengeance, and the arrogance of hubris in the hands of frail humanity. Each one of these four plays comes at us from different directions, with different motives and methods, and yet it's all so clearly done that you find yourself nodding in agreement and wondering where you may fall -- so to speak -- in these situations. Also, funny as hell. Great work from a master craftsman, and now available through Next Stage Press.