Recommended by Asher Wyndham

I liked how the playwright used reflection, backstory, and memory in this monologue -- he theatricalized it, he has the speaker act it out. If you've lost a love one, to suicide or not, you may relate. A smart choice for any solo festival on death and mourning.

You may identify with this character. I think most people do. I'm not a Christmas elf, don't live in the North Pole, but like this character sometimes it seems lonely around people you know and finding a date can be a challenge, esp. online. Another gem of a monologue from Weaver, this time an unexpected Christmas monologue. Produce this at your December showcase of shorts, the audience will be charmed by this.

Krantz's descriptive power evident in this monologue, her capturning of space and time, the perspective of a young woman, the suprise at the end (!) it had me hooked -- if produced it would certainly hook an audience. Whether it's memoir or semi-biographical or not, dramatic or funny, Krantz excels at story-telling monologues that are entralling character studies, even when they're just snippets of someone's life.

I could read Krantz monologues every day. Another knockout monologue that has an emotional wallop at the end that left me pondering about the speaker and her relationship to family. It took me a while to leave this recommendation because I was thinking long about the story and how Krantz achieved so much in such a short amount of time. Produce this.

This is so raw and real, nothing contrived, it's definitely straight from the heart. When you read it you may remember how sh*tty of a kid you've been time and again to your parent. An actress that identifies with speaker will have a challenge to bring this in front of an audition table. But worth the challenge.

We have all encountered these customers in line at shopping centers. This disgusting piece of human trash will be a wonderful character for an auditioning or competing actress. It builds in intensity and nastiness.

Matthew Weaver excels in many genres. Now, he's writen an erotic monologue. His imagination slips easily into the heels (maybe she's wearing heels) of a sexy, confident woman that loves her body and giving pleasure to a young man. The lesson at the end will have everyone nodding their heads, while crossing their legs. A smart choice for any festival on sex-positive themes.

This is my favorite monologue by Weaver and one of my favorites on NPX. Faith-based monologues are rare, and this one immediately tugs on the heartstrings. You probably know someone who has doubts like this woman, who's angry at God. You may be just like her. At the end of this you may be clenching your fist, imagining yourself clutching the spoon. There is an immediacy and intimacy in this little scene that makes this so special. Please read this, share it. And better produce it !

Even when she's minimal in her writing, even when it's a few pages, in this case two pages, Carnes astounds us. This play has the lightness of a prayer, a poetry that has a delicacy that settles and weighs on your heart. Haunting. A perfect addition to any reading or production on gun violence.

Written straight from the heart, this poetic monologue, like a prayer, speaks to many who have lost faith or questioned their faith in a world wrecked by gun violence. This monologue may help restore someone who has had a lapse in faith and may remind them that a leap of faith, and that re-entry into a community of believers is what they need to get through another day of gun violence in America. I haven't read a lot of faith-based monologues on gun violence--I am glad someone like playwright Chelsea White is adding her voice to the collective effort.