Recommended by Asher Wyndham

A monologue for any actor, any adult age, any size, race, gender expression. Paulsen gifts us a poem-monologue that's super short but heavy in emotional impact, speaking for many of us that are disenchanted in our country disowning democracy. It's also inspirational and hopeful.

Character revealed through processing something traumatic or life-changing, after some big reveal -- that makes for great theatre. This is a fine example. An actor in her 60s should check this out.

Even if you're not a mother or grandmother, it's easy have empathy for this woman. Traditions come to an end, the need from our loved ones comes and goes, and the loneliness settles in. There's an emotional weight at the center of the piece that Hall captures perfectly. A great piece for an older actor.

A beautiful moment that a director and actors can fill with surprise, intimacy, humor, and physicality.

Sometimes sweetness, kindness and hospitality can be radical and transformative especially in toxic workplaces which are intersectional spaces of identities and ideologies. The speaker might not feel like a hero, realizes he is ignorant and needs to learn more, but his stance and opposition to trans hate makes him heroic. We need more monologues like this that stick a finger up at the haters everywhere.

This may be the best representation of Eve for the stage. With fierceness, rawness, this filthy mother of humanity is also full of love and pride. I can see this being a full-bodied performance owning the stage. A killer monologue for audience. Perfect for a female identifying actor or a drag queen.

We need more monologues like this that stand up at podium, in-yer-face against the political powers, the fascism that is going to war against sexual minorities. It calls for not just condemnation, but defiance and empathy -- much needed in this divided country.

For some marriage sacrifices independence, identity itself -- the "you" for "us." Martineau explores the emotional price that is paid for those who want out of marriage -- not forever, no, just for a bit -- even if it means adultery or, at least, flirtation at the Christmas tree sales lot. It's the thought-process about independence as transgression within marriage that is captivating in this monologue.

This is an important monologue on toxic masculinity/sexism not just in the gaming world, online and off, but also in our culture. It's perfect for any festival on feminist themes. A male gamer used in an experiment learns a lot about his male peers, his actual gaming friends, and also himself. He always known it was hard for girls and women in his community and society, but he's never felt it, never done anything about it. Proof of the toxic shit is not just in the game, but in his inbox--gross. A lesson learned not too late, I hope.

With poetic description and metaphors, with an emotional intensity at its center, Potter's monologue asks some important questions that many women ask. And men too. Totally relatable speaker who knows this isn't the right kind of world to bring up a child. A good monologue for a festival on feminist issues.