Recommended by Jordan Bird

So smart, so funny, so perfect. The more I read of Duncan's work, the more I love it. This futuristic flip on Don't Ask Don't Tell is fantastically hilarious while also asking questions about war and the military.

This gun control monologue is really something special, both because it incorporates humor (which gets attention in ways drama and tragedy sometimes do not) and is full of extremely useful information. I love the employment of traditional, 'cliched' salesmen tropes to further underscore the point: that in America, guns are a commodity more valuable than human life. This would be a great opener or closer to a festival of plays about gun control.

A sweet, funny short play that will ring true for anyone who has been in a relationship that implodes. I love Flynn's control over the language and tempo of this piece -- it's quick, smart, and witty.

A beautiful, heartfelt, loving tribute to a loved one who has passed on from this world, I LIKE FANCY THINGS would easily translate from a short stage play to a short film. We learn to love the father through the son's eyes -- and we learn to love to son through his deep love and respect for his father. With nuance and a lovely rhythm, this would be a perfect audition piece for a middle-aged actor.

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! This hilarious, vulnerable monologue made me want to stand up and cheer. Partain once again gives us a woman with humor, sexuality, and honesty -- an incredibly refreshing combination to see onstage. CURVES would be a perfect audition piece for basically any woman.

A lovely, moving short monologue about homelessness and hopelessness. Lydia's choices -- to stay stationary, to be as immovable as concrete, or to take a risk and attempt a brief rejoining of the world -- is impossibly hard and heartbreaking. A beautiful character-study and window into the world of women living on the street.

Once again, Wyndham walks a balance beam of intense comedy and real, horrifying truth -- and once again, his risk pays off. This quick, witty, thoughtful piece starts off with a temper tantrum eerily similar to my own 13-year-old diatribes and ends with a profound call to authenticity and safety.

I first encountered this play a month ago and was grateful to include it in a reading of gun reform plays I produced. I can only imagine the impact this heart-wrenching monologue play would have with a full production. A snapshot, one facet of the impact of gun violence. It has stayed with me since the moment I read it; it will stay with you, too.

What can you say about a play like this? It's so real it hurts -- I'm crying after two pages. Partain has gotten to the vital, trembling heart of the issue here in a profound, disquieting way. Here is a moment that puts everything into sharp focus; here is what has been stolen from children. WHEN I WAS A CHILD should be included in every single production of plays about gun reform.

Wow. Absolutely stunning. TAKE FLIGHT explores universal themes in a very, very specific way: communication, community, family, freedom. Daley-Sharif has so much control over cadence and language. A gorgeous monologue for a hearing-impaired or deaf actor.