Recommended by Franky D. Gonzalez

I fearfully--with morbid excitement--await some version of this speech to be given by a tech executive. Ferber may well prove to be a technology jester or prophet. His humorous monologue, whose character has all the pretentiousness and aloof arrogance of a tech tycoon, will make you squirm uncomfortably and laugh out loud by how over-the-top this sounds. And yet...you can't help but wonder if there is a market for it. Wonderfully funny, and cringe-inducing in the best ways possible. This tech CEO has all the tone-deafness of someone too self-involved to realize what he's actually saying. Very fun monologue.

The mark of a good dystopian setting is not its flashy science-fiction elements, nor the descriptions of a destroyed society. Rather, it's the ability to talk about the problems of today in a context that sidesteps the browbeating tactics of some politically-inclined writers. Burbano is no such writer. She discusses the evolution of feminism and the ground being lost for women's rights with such elegance that you're left breathless. The past, present, and future meet together in this cell where two women discuss what many of us refuse to. This is a play whose necessity to today cannot be overstated.

Diaz-Marcano asks us to consider some tough questions about the nature of love, hatred, and guilt in this weighty play. Giving us two characters for whom the world has abandoned, and who only have each other to take the responsibility of setting free and keeping alive. They console and tear each other apart beautifully and grotesquely. As much about cleansing as it is about debasement and as much about pleasure as it is about pain, Nelson Diaz-Marcano paints a play of contradiction and false truths that must truly be the truth. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Read it now.

An examination of class struggle, parenthood, and frustration with the small passive-aggressive aggressive/smug actions that build up to a reaction that has far-reaching consequences. Danielle becomes an everyperson frustrated by the excesses of the rich and explains herself as though attempting to absolve, while still unable to leave the moment of her act of rage. Patrick Flynn creates a convincing portrait of the cyclical nature of the guilt and excuses used to justify acts of aggression. We are left wondering who Danielle is trying to convince of her innocence; us or herself? What a fascinating, if disquieting, play.

An examination of "selling out" and keeping true to an artistic vision, Guyton creates two friends and their own personal struggles with the lots they have in life. It's a play with weighty questions that follow artists through all time. Daniel Guyton invites us all to consider both perspectives and examine the humanity behind our actions and the motivations to pursue art relentlessly or pursue a more popular commercial approach with creating art pieces. Definitely a play that merits consideration and reading from playwrights at any stage of their career.

A hilarious play about one of man's greatest insecurities. Barbot has a wonderful gift of making realistic language from absurd situations. The comedic timing sits in the writing. The premise may make you raise your eyebrows, but Barbot pulls it off with aplomb and makes an entertaining play about two literary giants talking about *ahem* sizes. Wonderful play!

"I am empty of words which is why I’m holding this big ass weapon."

These words to the heart of a problem that we must reckon with as a country. The catalyst for this play and the situation may have been Hurricane Maria, but the build up is centuries old. Diaz-Marcano creates a play that goes beyond the political and touches the deeply human. At its center is love. A wounded love, but love nevertheless. It's the lashing out of the desperate and suffering. A marvelous play that bears reading and discussion, no matter how uncomfortable that conversation.

What a hilarious way to start a marriage, and what a way to deal with a bear. The monologue, like the situation, is a delicate balancing act in both comedy and its high stakes. You wait in anticipation through the whole monologue, which speaks to the talent and abilities behind Samantha Cooper's writing. She catches your attention and does not let you take your eyes off for a second. Not unlike a grizzly bear in front of you during your honeymoon. Really great monologue.

A monologue that captures the inner turmoil of a young woman facing a problem so many in rural and impoverished America face. It questions the price of finally escaping the small town life. It stares at the dangers and realities and asks an honest question that too few people who are in relationships with those serving, would dare to ask in public. Asher Wyndham approaches that question and finds an artful way of posing the question. A great and arresting monologue.

"(He gently and lovingly strokes his glorious tail.)"

That stage direction sold this play to me. There was no way I could dislike this play. A hilarious homage to the Looney Toons and Tex Avery eras of cartoon silliness with all the neuroses and human quirks of the 21st Century human, only played by animals. Absolutely hilarious read.