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Miranda Jonté

Recommended by Miranda Jonté

  • XANDRA: A PTA MEETING MONOLOGUE by Asher Wyndham
    20 Jun. 2022
    “ First and foremost, XANDRA is us- she represents humanity at its clearest and best and she has more heart, balls and guts than the whole room she's excoriating has, combined. Wyndham is a brilliant monologist, evidenced in his ability to speak from the bones and bowels of each wildly different character he creates. He is a world builder, a fierce advocate of these folks on his pages, and XANDRA is what we all need: a person who believes in themselves. ”
  • Secret Ingredient by John Mabey
    20 Jun. 2022
    “ The veiled everything here is reminiscent of Strindberg's THE STRONGER. I do love subtext and Mabey's piece is a goldmine. Everything feels more dangerous with this kind of indirect-yet-direct address and only writers so clear in knowing what they want to say- and how- are successful at it. Home run. ”
  • Elderly Manslaughter by A.D. Valentine
    28 Feb. 2022
    “ I freaking love this. What FUN- I love how the dialogue is so true to life and that the reveal of details is also spot on. So often when recounting an event, the writing is too expository or 'for the cheap seats' and A.D.'s piece is neither. Sal is clever, doesn't blink at the problem at hand, and the more logical Sal becomes with the 'how' and 'what,' the funnier it gets. A FAB piece for an actor and for an audition. ”
  • MAKE IT KNOWN - Monologue by Elisabeth Giffin Speckman
    30 Jan. 2022
    “ I felt the rise of this piece in my chest. Speckman builds and lights what becomes a roaring bonfire in Sally's reluctance, discovery, embracing and championing those who don't merely not get a seat at the table, but are never told about the party in the first place. The vernacular and cadence endear Sally to us, highlighting her youth and certainty, which reveal themselves to be tools of war once she's climbed the hill her teacher (beautifully drawn) has led her to. This is a fight song. I f*&^ing love it. YES. ”
  • She's Blown Away by Vince Gatton
    29 Jan. 2022
    “ Gatton is easily becoming one of my favorite playwrights. Each play is so varied in its circumstances and relationships, a feat considering a writer creates from the same brain and inner world each time. What seems a typical 'life or death' dramatic dilemma between young teens, is through minimal moments & lines revealed to be an actual life or death circumstance for anyone who has found themselves the object of unwanted affection. Small is big here, and Gatton's reveals and nuance are the stuff of dreams. ”
  • Claire's Dilemma: A Strippers Monologue by Ken Love
    17 Jan. 2022
    “ What a world Ken Love has created. Claire's Dilemma is an ode to a woman in pain & denial who will let you think by her smile- the one that doesn't reach her eyes- that she's fine, ain't no thang. (She's not fine). But she is a survivor. When I read this I see the sticky-patched fake wood table top she sits at, the dull orange and grape hues of the 70's, I hear the music underneath. The atmosphere is vivid. It's storytelling at its finest, character odyssey at its finest & a masterpiece for an actor ”
  • Are You in Love Yet by Denis Burke
    15 Jan. 2022
    “ Absolutely lovely. Two people trying something new, both wary, curious, and subtly hopeful. Wonderfully natural dialogue and rhythms, and a perfect ending that leaves you with an air of promise for these two. It may sound simple, but gosh, I feel good after reading this. ”
  • Ghosts at a Narcan Training by Rebecca Kane
    22 Dec. 2021
    “ This is looovvvvvelyyy. Kane has a knack for dialogue and clever irritation in her situations and characters. I went in expecting this to be actual ghosts hovering around a Narcan training, wishing they'd done things differently in their lives. Instead, I got two people who bring out the spikes in one another, only to find a middle ground with the reveal of their 'why's.'
    In the telling lies the humanity. And therefore relatability.
    A great short which also happens to be, unfortunately, so very timely. ”
  • Password: 2020 Escape Room [a 1-minute play] by Steven G. Martin
    10 Dec. 2021
    “ How perfectly can one encapsulate an era within 60 seconds? Pretty damn well, especially if you’re Steven G. Martin. Even the tempo of the piece matches the chaotic melody of the year 2020. What seems an irritating, poor choice of a way to spend NYE reveals itself to be an even poorer choice once the timer runs out. Surprising?
    It totally tracks. ”
  • Protocols by Vince Gatton
    20 Nov. 2021
    “ Oh my GOD. Once again, Vince Gatton commingles everyday life with extraordinary horror, this time of the supernatural genre; the result is gorgeous humanity in unanticipated circumstances. His dialogue is natural and smacks of that sibling vernacular that those with brothers and sisters know oh so well. Even- especially- in the silences and beats, While the conditions of the world that Shon and Ari inhabit are kill or be zombified, at its heart this is a love story of understanding and alliance between siblings. And I freaking love it. ”

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