Recommended by Doug DeVita

Anyone who's had to have their creative work evaluated by pompous, know-nothing, intellectual snobs may suffer from a slight attack of PTSD reading Steven G. Martin's /ärt/, but will also relate to the savagely hilarious truths he unleashes with malicious glee. A wonderful miniature, the ending is sublime. If only the adults could behave as gracefully as the children.

(Full disclosure: I won my first grade art competition. A boy. A boy won. So put that in your Chablis, Mrs. Crull and Mrs. Notting.)

Who hasn't tried telling a family story, with other family members present? That's the charm of Bruce Karp's "Where's Mom?" a comedy in which one of the most hilariously dysfunctional families ever put on a stage (or a page) try to tell the story about the night mom disappeared. Even the dead and the divorced members of the family are there to weigh-in, contradict, correct, interject unwanted opinions, vent... you name it, this family does it, and does it with gleefully bitchy insouciance. Laugh out loud funny, with a vein of rueful remorse running through which keeps it grounded.

Ethel Merman is irresistible, and so is Bruce Karp's "Why Not Merman?" Karp places the ghost of Merman front and center – where she still belongs – in a coming of age story that is by turns hilarious and touching, and gives dimension not only to the great star herself, but the beautifully written characters of Uncle Ronald and teenaged Tyler. Great roles, great lines, and a great premise; once read, you'll never get away from this play.

Metaphorical stream-of-consciousness is Rachael Carnes’ forte, and she's in fabulous form with "Egg In Spoon," a pointed, humorous, and politically apt take on sexuality. And as is her wont, she takes us on a journey we think is going in one direction, then stuns with hairpin turns that we should – but don't – see coming.

Vinecia Coleman takes the "dark family secrets" play to a whole new level with "But What Am I?" Her premise is straightforward, her writing gets right to the point with minimal fuss, her dialogue is crisp and clear, and the emotional toll is devastating. Beautiful and heartbreaking.

And by the way, Coleman's stage directions merit special mention for their delicious brilliance.

Lovely and loving, Philip Middleton Williams' "A Tree Grows in Longmont" is a memory play that zings the heart with its depth of feeling. A beautiful tribute to a lost, and ardent, love.

Unexpectedly funny, Daly’s short mixes a hyper mother-to-be, a broken down car, a nervous cop, a crowning baby, and the Cross Bronx Expressway into a frothy but touching little gem.

Cassie M. Seinuk’s “Misplaced” is a raw, emotional punch in the gut, a stunning evocation of one woman’s search for the roots of loss. Astutely observed and beautifully written, this is one of Seinuk’s finest works. And that’s no mean accomplishment.

Shoshannah Boray’s gentle, touching, and warmly funny little gem beautifully captures a teenaged sibling relationship, with all the inherent friction, codependency, and deep love that simmers below the surface of her two beautifully drawn characters’ lives rendered perfectly. A wonderful two-hander with wonderful roles for teens.

What a delightfully creative piece; as Carbajal himself suggests in his synopsis, I can absolutely see this "conducted" rather than spoken. Perhaps even sung? But however it is staged, "A Craigslist Play" will entertain from its sheer, ballsy, and sly sense of fun.