Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

What's in a name? More than you know, and in the hands of Nora Louise Syran, we learn just how deep the connection is in history, lore, and family connections. A stirring and solemn story.

This lyrical monologue stopped me in my tracks and made me go back and read over and over for its sheer simple beauty that says so much in exactly the right way. It soars even as it takes you deep into the underworld to appreciate what comes with the emergence of light.

It's almost too easy to make fun of space opera -- I've done it myself -- but in the hands of Mike Byham, this novel approach to the tropes and plot lines of the franchises is breathtakingly original in that it tackles a trend that threatens the galaxy. Fun and right on target.

Encompassing the gritty feel of a film-noir, this short piece by Ryan Kaminski has us on edge from the first moment to the last. Suspenseful, taut, and with a great twist at the end.

Continuing the further adventures of Bascom and Isaac, Scott Sickles gives us a stream of conscious monologue that brings so much together in a loving, frantic moment.

The tension that builds in this short monologue, seemingly assuaged by the assassin composing poetry as he stakes out his position, is palpable. Is it so implausible that someone could be thinking of committing murder as they create something of beauty? Not in the capable hands of Ken Love, and the best part is that it seems natural for the gunman to do this to steady his hand and dedicate himself to the job. Hauntingly good.

Memory is an imperfect time machine. It takes us back to the times we had but the shading and colors are vivid in some ways, faded in others. With his deft skill of showing us two views of the same characters, Sam Heyman gives us a look back to the times of the callow youth for Ernest/Ernie and William/Billy as seen through their years of experiencing life but with the forms they once had as young men. How would they go forward and would they end up here on this bench? Time will tell.

I'm back at the Ben Franklin Ice Cream Parlor on Conant Street in Maumee, Ohio. It's 1962 and I'm with my dad as we try to remember the ice cream we had the last time. Was it Rum Raisin? Rocky Road? German Chocolate Cake? This magic moment between father, son, and shopkeeper is precious in all the right ways, and I wish I could see it set in that place with the little tables, the harp-back chairs, the tile floor, and the colorful memories that this play brought.

Suspense is one of human nature's most terrifying emotions. It defies the mind's perpetual quest for knowledge and curiosity. In this short play, Matthew Weaver uses all the elements of suspense -- darkness -- both physical and mental -- elusive riddles, and non-answers to questions. Veronica's torture -- and that is what it is -- is the inability to answer a simple question. And we the audience are left with the suspense as well. But it works so well in this chilling tale.

A deeply moving and personal testimony from one brother to another. And while Paul Braverman rightly calls it a reconciliation, take it from someone who has stood next to Ed's Brother and others, it is also a reconciliation for his own feelings of loss and long journey. Even if you have never been with him, you will understand.