Recommended by Franky D. Gonzalez

I love how Weaver is able to weave in the moments we can only speculate on in the lives of the Calpurnia and Mark Antony. You see subtle references to Shakespeare and the Greeks and learn a little more of the history culminating in Caesar's assassination. I especially enjoyed how Matthew was able to place Calpurnia in a place of feeling forgotten but still is attributed in this play to have given the key to Antony's speech to the Romans citizenry in Shakespeare's play. It shows how wrong she is not just through telling but through show. Marvelous short play.

The finest wines take time to process. So to does this monologue which left me wondering at just what this dangerous woman meant behind her secret to making fine wine. My own advice. Read it. Take it in. Read it again aloud--or better yet, have someone else, preferably an African American woman read it aloud-- and take it in again. I promise, it'll make a lot more sense. Really subtle play, that rewards a patient reader. Definitely a worthwhile monologue for a performer to tackle.

An unsettling play whose plea is as immediate to us as it was to the characters int his piece. Bublitz explores fear, bravery, and the most pressing matter facing all of humanity in our very near future. There is so much drama packed into so few pages, and like the aftermath of a violent storm, one is only left in quiet and reflection at what has passed and what is yet to come. A very moving and relevant play.

A humorous play with a wonderful moral at the heart of it. Perfect for young audiences growing into themselves in a world of social media and unrealistic standards on love and a ton of laughs for adults as well, Hageman does not trade off honesty of dialogue or reality of situations just because the characters are from old fables and fantasies. Definitely a fresh, much more modern take on old tropes taking on today's obstacles. Highly recommended.

There's a lovely economy of language that speaks to the works of Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett but with a twist of comedy that leaves you chuckling at the delightful absurdity of two people who have fallen for each other. Ian and Portia are the kind of characters you want to roll your eyes at, but playwright Matthew Weaver makes them endearing and genuinely funny. You'll shake your head, but it's with a smile and fondness as you remember your own first love and the magical moments of finally coming together with someone you just can't stop kissing--oops, thinking--about.

A timely play that could not have come at a better time. It forces us to question the debts we owe to society and those those we love and those we hurt. She cuts into the heart of the battle between the ethical and the financial with a clarity and understanding not just of the subject matter, but of American culture at large. Using a beautiful blend of realism, expressionism and so many other styles, Hoke weaves the story of Clive and those around him over 16 years. Stunning. Be on the lookout for when you can read this play.

A ghost story that speculates on the truth and the play about the students trying to contact the ghost, who go on a journey that they don't seem to recall, or never went through at all. Like any great legend or myth, we are left speculating on what we witnessed and can only ask, "Was what this experience what I think it was, or something else?" Partain, takes the spirit of a ghost story with all of its facts and fictions and gives us another layer to the story laced with its own facts, fictions, and speculations. Masterfully done. Fantastic.

A heartfelt and tender monologue by Straton Rushing charting a change in perspective through friendship. Mr. Rushing has that rare gift of being able to keep someone engaged through a long monologue. So many playwrights try to master this but often times miss the mark. Not so with Straton's THANK YOU SEAN DOLINSKI. You can actually hear the speaker at this vigil. You could hear how he spoke and you feel the emotions he felt as he delivers these heartfelt words in memory of his friend. A wonderful study in how to write monologues well and a darn good piece.

A comical play that takes on a very serious undertone as it progresses. Ruth Cantrell created an engaging two-hander that explores the absurdity of hate and place of both ignorance and hurt that hatred comes from. You'll go from chuckles to introspective silence as you watch a reprehensible protest become the very sad last stand of a confused individual lost in bitterness. And yet, Cantrell isn't satisfied with painting a black and white picture of hate. What drew me most about this play was how truly sorry one felt for the antagonist. A rare talent. I highly recommend this play.

A delightful holiday themed play about a woman trying to catch a bus and the cat-calling snowman. What struck me about this play was that you can put a young man as a stand-in for the snowman and you would have a very convincing narrative on how misogyny is taught to men from their conception. That Claudia Haas balances the themes of comedy, social commentary, the holidays, and budding relationships in such few pages exhibits a mastery of her craft and a command over economy in her use of language. What a fun script!