If you’ve resolved to see more live theater this year but worry that your attention span isn’t up to the task, Sharp Stick Productions’ Red High Heels may be just the warm-up you need before committing to darker, more dramatic works by Shakespeare or Shaw. In its first stint at the Anacostia Playhouse, the emerging theater company presents three short works by Northern Virginia-based playwright Harrison Murphy that ask life’s big questions in a lively, witty way. Can the combination of good company and a good stiff drink pull someone out of a mid-life crisis? Can strangers make more than small talk in the purgatory of an airport lounge? If a box promised to validate or refute the existence of God, would you open it? Kick back and let the performers navigate these complicated travails for you. The play runs Jan. 15 to Jan. 24 at Anacostia Playhouse, 2020 Shannon Place SE. $15–$20. (202) 290-2328. anacostiaplayhouse.com.