Recommended by Philip Middleton Williams

I remember the Worlds Fair, the Belgian waffles, that damned song, and the arches at the entries with "Peace Through Understanding" emblazoned on them as if it was a done deal. Oh, the hopes we had: that all the problems of the world could be solved with a ride through a Disney-dream exhibit and concocted snacks. Dick and Jane have their doubts, their differences, but at least they know where they are: in a corporate-driven wonderland in Queens. And we get to know their hopes and their realities in this bittersweet and spot-on play.

Franky Gonzalez has proved time and again that he can say more in one minute than most playwrights do in three acts. This piece proves it. That’s all.

Trauma ignites the mind and takes it to places at breakneck speed, taking the senses, the memories, and the imagination along, barely clinging by their fingernails. In this tale of co-workers dealing with PTSD on a scale that to an outside observer seems unreal but perfectly logical and natural to those on the journey, Vince Gatton has encapsulated it with three characters who are so fully realized, wind-whipped, and frantically grasping for a return to what laughingly passes for normal that you are gasping for air. I could not stop reading once I started, and on stage it will soar.

Nobody likes surprise office birthday parties, right? But this one is special because the guest of honor is... well, he's been waiting a very long time for his party. Vince Gatton has given us a funny and realistic play that has all the elements of a good surprise party, including a surprise beyond expectations. The connections between the characters is so real and the outcome so plausible that you want to be there. And he had me at "cupcakes!"

The world may end with a bang or a whimper... but how about a giggle? Steven G. Martin wraps up the culture that's about to be cancelled, but in this case as demonstrated by these two airheads, it's worth doing.

I've only been to London twice, but now I want to go back and follow the spectral footsteps of Marcus and Sextus as they recount their memories of a memorable time in that once-Roman den of frolic and iniquity. And who better to lead the journey than Dominica Plummer, whose skills in writing are legion.

This play brought back memories of my own short-lived teaching career, and reminded me so well of something I wish I'd done: be the teacher to each student, not the whole class, and learn as much in the process as they do. This walk to a garden where many things grow, some thriving, some fighting off the weeds, is an inspiring moment for the teacher, the student, and those of us lucky enough to share it.

The set description says, "The Southwest as imagined by Edward Hopper." In this diner where two lonely hearts meet up, the world of Hopper fills not just the stage, but sets the mood for the lyrical poetry of the dialogue and the mystical lives inhabited by loneliness, longing, and regret. But even in this sad place that smells of old coffee and stale smoke, there's a glimmer of hope from the dreams Lee and Coffee have held on to, and they're not so different. This play is filled with a mellow intensity, which makes it all the more worth seeing.

As Freud noted, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. But sometimes a metaphor can become a pointed and even humorous insight into life, existence, and the casualness with which we approach it. Sounds really deep, eh? But not in the deft and snappy dialogue in this short play that takes a look at how easily we can delete something -- a word, a document, a life -- and only then realize the "Oh NO!" moment. A life-or-delete lesson if there ever was one.

A sweet slice of life between two people who have seen enough of the hard road and are ready to pull over and set a spell and enjoy a little time with someone who shares some of the same memories. Order up.