Recommended by Francis RTM Boyle

It's easy to forget that the opposite of depression isn't happiness, it's hope. There's a lovely absurdity about this brief scene featuring a suicidal person and their soon-to-be friend, but that's the point. Life can tend towards the absurd, and people who are even at the point of doing something tremendously stupid and permanent can find a new on-ramp to their life. And THAT is always a reason for hope.

Hope is on display here. Bravo, Robin Rice.

Stop me if you've heard this before: "a couple fights, we find out why, we get a clear resolution. Polite applause. Everyone goes home, anesthetized against the vale of tears." It's practically stock.

Unless you're DC Cathro.

I will not reveal how he thrice subverts one of the most tried and tired storytelling scaffolds. Neither will I divulge the rich characters and their shockingly honest motivations. I will not spoil this play by telling you what to expect.

Where others throw kitchen sinks to make their points onstage, he uses a swift dagger right to the heart.

Read this now.

D'Aubigny might well become a new Cyrano with her passionate loves, duels, and expansive career across Europe. She is a meaty and challenging role, and is not the only role like that in the play. Monica Cross offers a wonderful look at a sensational life. It reminds this reader of Cyrano, Les Liaisons, but, most of all, As You Like It.

My favorite line:

"I do not want someone in my bed who would not fight at my side."

The Mademoiselle is my kind of triple threat: Must act, Must sing, Must Fight.

I'll have what she's having.

I've been an adjunct, and Asher (unsurpisingly) gets the desperation. For every tenured professor there are probably a hundred people living hand to mouth, dealing with debt and dreaming of more than subsistence teaching. You get the despair, and our main character understands it all too well. As usual, I can't say enough good about this piece, and I suggest actors jump on this one.

Matthew Weaver gets it. I have no higher praise.

A masterful snapshot of people under some of the worst circumstances. Insightful and developed, it is typically Wyndham. You get to know these sisters in only a few moments.

So true. We've all got a great deal of writing-energy, but when we want to give good feedback, sometimes it is simply impossible. This is a well crafted exploration of an all too common frustration.

Quincey has a lot to tell us. This monologue is a collision of timeless innocence with the all-too modern internet dating culture. It will be a strong addition to any college stage age actor's book. Read and enjoy.

The catalogue of kisses can't be denied! This is the sort of fun and delightful madness that explores our human strangeness, and I love it. A perfect piece for two performers with a lot of energy, split second timing, and more than a few breath mints.

Actors, find a partner. Directors, find a couple of actors. All of the above, make sure they don't have mono!