Recommended by John Mabey

Vivian Lermond writes monologues with such skill and honesty, especially with this piece. Reading her work makes you feel as if you're in the same room with the character, and a delight for any actress to perform.

This monologue is a wonderful piece for an older actress and so enjoyable for adult audiences of all ages. With careful revelations and discoveries, Adam Szudrich has crafted a play that makes you both cheer and cry, all the while celebrating the act of letting go.

This play is so endearing and well-written as it explores culture, identity and the risks of being authentic. Aaron Leventman writes with such heart and humor as mother and son unexpectedly achieve a profound sense of honesty with the help of an adult movie role. As they struggle to better understand themselves and each other, it's their mutual need for connection that bridges the gaps.

These monologues are so well-written and perfectly paired by Rachael Carnes. They deftly explore the current pandemic as well as the aftermath with both humor and sharp awareness. This is also an exciting play to mount as the character of Julia is written for different actors playing the same role, and mirrors so beautifully the evolution of the different points in time.

Philip Middleton Williams has crafted such a beautiful play about grief and the ways we cope. The characters all have such rich histories and Philip delivers the perfect amount of background to make the action both compelling and dynamic. Never before have I read a play that wrestled with themes of death and loss but left me feeling so open and hopeful.

Programming (T)error will have you in stitches! This might be the first monologue I've read where there was so much action and comedy I'd swear there was more than one character on stage. Bravo to John Busser for creating the ultimate tech support play that is equal parts hysterical and horrifying. So many great moments and definitely a festival hit.

This is a hysterical and well-written play about identity and coming out. John Bavoso explores these themes in a truly unique way and succeeds with great comedy and heart.

I've often held conversations in my head with characters I've created, wondering where the ideas originated. And when it's done right, they feel as real as myself. In GOODBYE, BOBBY, Philip Middleton Williams offers us a peek into such an encounter, and it's layered with insights and meanings that both characters wrestle with and explore. This is a magical encounter that will stay with me as both a writer and a reader.

John Bavoso has written a provocative and original meta-examination of the 'bury your gays' trope in UNBURIED. Queerbaiting and the typical untimely demise of queer characters is seen in many genres, but especially thrillers. John takes those themes and examines them in this play through a lens of internalized homophobia as well. A thrilling production I'd be excited to see staged.

David Beardsley has crafted such a well-written and complex 10-minute play about subtle and overt discrimination and racism. He explores white privilege through dynamic characters and pays careful attention to the ways these characters are understood by each other and by the audience. This play should be a welcome addition at many festivals.