HOUSTON: Mildred’s Umbrella Theater Company has announced its 2017-18 season, including works by female playwrights and the return of a series of short plays.

“For the upcoming season, we are getting ‘back to basics’ and featuring works that accentuate our unique place in Houston theatre,” said artistic director Jennifer Decker in a statement. “In other words, these productions feature all of the elements our audiences have come to associate with Mildred’s Umbrella: sharp, quirky writing; unique characters and stories; and poetic, often surreal imagery and sound—all presented by our amazing pool of local artists who are second to none in the Houston area.”

The season will open with In a Word (July 27-August 12), by Lauren Yee, about a woman who struggles through the two-year anniversary of her son’s disappearance. Troy Scheid will direct.

Following will be Fathers and Teeth (Oct. 19-Nov. 4), by Charise Castro Smith, about a teenager who is struggling with the loss of her mother and her father’s new fiancée. Jacey Little will direct.

The new year will begin with Well (Jan. 18-Feb. 3, 2018), by Lisa Kron, a memory play about the playwright’s own mother. Bree Bridger will direct.

Next up will be Dark Matter (March 29-April 14, 2018), by Don Nigro, a short-play collection previously produced at Mildred’s Umbrella in 2007. The lineup will include: Tales From the Red Rose Inn, Lucy and the Mystery of the Vine-Encrusted Mansion, Higgs Field, The Malefactor’s Bloody Register, Darkness Like a Dream, Wharburton’s Cook, Things That go Bump in the Night, and Uncle Clete’s Toad. Jennifer Decker and Miranda Herbert will direct.

Wrapping up the season will be the 10th annual Museum of Dysfunction (June 21-30, 2018), a short-play festival that will feature 20 works by emerging and established playwrights. The plays will be nnounced at a later date.

Mildred’s Umbrella’s is a female-focused theatre, dedicated to producing works by women and showcasing strong female protagonists.