A visit to the theater in San Francisco may promise a memorable experience replete with $100 tickets, leg-cramping seats and flying monkeys, but a short drive from home, Mountain View’s Pear Avenue Theatre offers a bite-sized antidote to big-budget plays.

“Pear Slices 2010,” the annual compilation of short plays written by members of the Pear Avenue Playwrights Guild, features an entertaining menu of poignancy and pathos, humor and history.

The 49-seat theater lends itself to the eight intimate, character-driven plays, each running 10-15 minutes. Where the plays lack length, they compensate in breadth and depth, tackling terminal illness, relationships, faith and frogs. Directed by Troy Johnson and Diane Tasca, “Slices” fulfills Pear’s mission to “prove you can work wonders on a shoestring, as long as your spirit is willing and your imagination wide.”

The eight versatile and appealing actors, who jump in and out of characters as fast as costumes, perform with a confidence – and, in the lighter fare, a well-tuned playfulness – that infuses the writers’ words with conviction.

Megan Ma’s “Foreign Bodies” centers on a heartfelt conversation between lifelong friends (Shelley Lynn Johnson and Peggy Lynch), one of whom is dying of cancer. The moving dialogue explores their perceptions of each other and advances their bond beyond the impending death.

World War II provides the backdrop for Elyce Melmon’s “The Veiling,” a powerful and profound scene that features a Jewish mother (Johnson) and daughter (Maria Giere) seeking refuge in an Italian Catholic church. With counsel from a compassionate priest (Ray Renati), the mother agonizes over whether to deny her birthright and be something she’s not in order to survive.

Leah Halper’s “Eye Level Eye,” set at the Vietnam Memorial in Portland, Ore., follows a grizzled wheelchair-bound vet (standout Bill C. Jones) as he mixes it up with two women (Giere and Alika Ululani Spencer), one confrontational, the other conciliatory, as they search for the name of one’s dead father on the wall. In a snapshot, “Eye” creates compelling characters and specificity in tone, setting and mood.

Light and lively pieces, such as Helena G. Clarkson’s “As Is (No Warranty Available),” a witty and cleverly conceived metaphorical take on modern-day mating rituals, offset more serious themes. A couple (Lance Fuller and Spencer) dart about the stage as they ponder taking a leap of faith, compare baggage and contemplate surrender.

Doug Brook’s “Finding God,” Paul Bravermans’ “Out of Time,” Margy Kahn’s “The Selkie” and Ross Peter Nelson’s “The Return of the Frogs” round out “Slices.”

Performances are scheduled 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For tickets ($15-$25) and directions, visit www.thepear.org.

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