Recommended by Christopher Soucy

The secrets we keep are almost always the keys to knowing us better. Probably the most frightening moment of any relationship is when you are clinging on to the last secret you have worried that it will be the one that ends it all. Or the one you wanted to keep all to yourself. John Mabey writes a complex moment that reads so smoothly you barely realize it’s over at lights out. Brilliant work by a brilliant playwright.

Sickles whiplash. It’s a real condition. And it’s serious. It happens when you read one Scott Sickles play that delves into the darkest pits of modern American life and follow it by reading a romcom meetcute for the ages. Sickles has produced a slice of romance with a drizzle of undeniable charm and two big scoops of wonderfully defined characters. The result is a perfectly sweet treat that has you craving for more!

Scott Sickles picks at the scars of modern society with razor sharp claws. The effect is not just pain, it’s a deep resonating familiarity with the causes of such scars. Being a parent of a trans child and the son of conservative parents, I felt the dread of this play in my bones. Harrowing and all to close to home, this play rings a terrifying bell.

An ode to the perfect date. In a time where wants are complicated, distracting, and often times linked to big ticket items like money, real estate, or love, Miranda Jonte gives us a want that harks to a season, a time, a feeling of comfort, warmth, and satisfaction.

Sam Heyman has distilled the burden of expectations that the neurodivergent constantly wrestles with. A perfect monologue for any actor to dive into. Sure to be an audience pleaser wherever it is performed.

A harrowing account of survival. Long after the ordeal, the wounds still open without prompting. A great short piece about identity, grief, and the burden of being hurt by someone you loved.

Florida. My eyes hurt from rolling at every damn thing that Florida’s legislation is passing. I imagine this monologue will be the background noise of an admissions official reading a student from Florida’s transcripts. The choking of the education system should be recognized as child abuse.

I am thoroughly enjoying Adam Richter’s TERRIBLE BEAUTY 2.0 series. There is a slow burn dread that these installments inspire in me. The Insidious nature of corporate control over its workers coupled with the ever evolving nature of AI paints a backdrop of doom for our humanity.

A straw on the broken back of the camel that still struggles to carry its burden across this country. There is a nightmarish quality to the righteousness and conviction in this monologue. Here, Richard Gustin uses dark strokes to paint a portrait of a lawman who stepped over the line but refuses to acknowledge it.

A true epic battle of good versus evil… or mediocre versus evil… or borderline evil versus more definitively evil. Whatever the hell it is, it’s hilarious and satisfying. Scott Sickles remains at the top of my “I’m not jealous, you’re jealous” list of writers.