Recommended by Asher Wyndham

This is hilarious from start to finish. I recognize myself, and I think you would too, in the man's counter argument to an online response that goes nowhere. The desire to prove yourself right to anonymous people on message boards, Facebook group posts, and comment section of articles on supersilly or social topics can turn into quicksand. We spend too much of our time away from our love ones when it's wasted on the internet. This would be a fun addition to any solo festival on technology's influence on our lives. Check it out.

Calm under pressure, steeliness against a pending storm. The volume shifts would be a great challenge for an auditioning actor. Makes you think of the trauma nurses and doctors that treat each patient with the same care and attention as someone as the President. Give it a read.

If you've seen or read Johnna Adams' Gidion's Knot, then you should check out the tightly-structured, nailbiting play YOU MOTHER by LaRussa. What causes a teenager to commit an act of gun violence against his schoolmates? What were the signs, the changes in behavior? Do we point at the parents? What if the parent of the shooter offers no answers? This is the kind of gun-control play that will offer an audience a lot to discuss after a staged reading or production. One of my favorite gun-control plays on New Play Exchange.

The daughter Dani reminds me of teenagers across the globe that are questioning the status quo, fighting for the rights of the defenseless and those that are silenced. She is part of a larger movement, not just the one referred to in this play. This play will appeal to those fearless teeangers as well as their parents. When should we not question/resist/combat authority? When does a political movement become cultish? This play addresses those questions in this engrossing family drama. A smart choice for any festival on Jewish themes or any political-themed festival.

Merilo's one-act monologue Little Moscow is an unforgettable tale about the devastation of anti-Semitism on a family. WIth a descriptive power that's novelistic, as absorbing as anything in Aharon Appelfeld's works, Merilo's heartwrenching storytelling by an old Russian tailor is captivating from the first stitch. Wow.

Carroll's Monty Pythonesque take on Christianity's dueling God 'n Devil in Heaven is bonkers-fun. Audience members will mostly likely relate to Carroll's take on God. Like him, we've been frustrated with humanity, sometimes to point that we'd like to smash it all to smithereens with a mallet. Many of us would cheer God on! But Satan's argument is quite convincing. The setup - stage and costumes - would be easy to produce and be a great fun for college students and artists at a black box theatre - or any professional theatre looking for religious myths or some ridiculous comedy.

A lovely monologue as lecture about ornithology, specifically about the wonder of bird flight - and makes you think about how we as humans can evolve, like birds from dinousaurs, to defy gravity (not in the literal sense, no), defy certain social restrictions and soar in beautiful, poetic flight, if only metaphorically. It has an Eno-esque quality, poetic and philosphical, surprisingly heartfelt and stimulating without being contrived and pedantic. A bit awkward is the speaker's speech, but that's what makes this monologue work so well. I recommend this for any solo festival.

This play makes an excellent point. There's no excuse and if your parents or love ones find out, you should be shamed for not voting. This play makes you think about the other things, other actions, behaviors, transgressions that are shamed other than not voting which isn't considered a big deal by a lot of people. This short one-page comedy would be a smart choice for a festival or staged reading on voting.

A little bit of respect, attention, and joy is what we need sometimes to feel alive.
In this narrative monologue, we are reminded of that -- just open the door and let in the unexpected into your life.
The moments between Hal and Helen is ridiculous, yes, but also beautiful, tender, and sexy.
I told myself many times during the monologue, I want that.
An unexpected romantic comedy that will charm your audience at a solo festival.

If you're lucky you will never encounter a Fedora in your life. Whether a former lover or even f-buddy, these psychotic users, like the one in Sickles' script, shouldn't be applauded for their behavior, their verbal and emotional manipulation - but they do it so well, sexy AF - just read his script. In a short amount of time, Sickles covers so much backstory and reveals it just the right way to showcase his character.
This will be sick pleasure for an actress.