The Contemporary Monologue Men

Fifty fantastic speeches for men, from top plays by some of Britain's most exciting dramatists.

First published in 1994. The Modern Monologue is a continuation of the previous collection The Classical Monologue. This starts at the dawn of the modern age in 1892, presenting a survey of indispensable speeches from plays that continue to shape the course of modern theatre. The plays included in this collection also happen to be the ones that have helped to define modern acting in all its many guises. Modern playwrights such as Brecht, Genet, Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter, Shepard, Guare, Nichols and Churchill, to name only a handful of the dramatists represented here, assume that a play and its characters are malleable and shifting; that mood swings, strangeness and sudden eruptions are key components of modern theatre's compelling attraction.

(Applause Acting Series). Lawrence Harbison has selected 100 terrific monologues for men from contemporary plays, all by characters between the ages of 18 and 35 perfect for auditions or class. There are comic monologues (laughs) and dramatic monologues (no laughs). Most have a compelling present-tense action for actors to perform. A few are story monologues and they're great stories. Actors will find pieces by star playwrights such as Don Nigro, Itamar Moses, Stephen Adly Guirgis, and Terence McNally; by exciting up-and-comers such as Nicole Pandolfo, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Crystal Skillman, Greg Kalleres, Reina Hardy, and J. Thalia Cunningham; and information on getting the complete text of each play. This is a must-have resource in the arsenal of every aspiring actor hoping to knock 'em dead with his contemporary piece after bowling over teachers and casting directors alike with a classical excerpt.

Audition monologues from recent works by American playwrights.

The Contemporary Monologue is an exciting selection of speeches of all types, serious and comic, realistic and absurdist, drawn from plays written by contemporary playwrights over the past ten years. Updating the popular Modern Monologues, this fresh collection of speeches represents the best American and English playwrights of today including Caryl Churchill, Ariel Dorfman, John Guare, David Mamet, Tony Kushner, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman. Organized for maximum benefit to the actor gleaning for background material, individual selections are introduced with a summary of the play's action up to the point the speech begins. A brief sketch of the character is also given, utilizing, where possible, the playwright's own words. Finally, a commentary follows each monologue, alerting the actor to details in the speech that could help him/her perform it better. Some of the highlights of The Contemporary Monologue for men include selections from Angels in America, by Tony Kushner; Frankie and Johnnie in the Clair de Lune, by Terrence McNally; States of Shock, by Sam Shepard; and Speed-the-Plow, by David Mamet. Highlights of The Contemporary Monologue for women include selections from: The Contemporary Monologue is an invaluable resource for acting classes, competitions, auditions and rehearsals. It is an affordable and necessary tool for serious actors everywhere.

This unique anthology provides a wealth of material for actors and acting students, and a wonderful overview of the best recent plays for anyone interested in theatre. The more than 150 monologues cover a diverse range of subjects, and offer a variety of dramatic styles and moods. Each monologue is introduced with a short description of the plot, setting, and character type by the leading plauwrights of our time. Featured dramatists include: Christopher Durang, Wendy Wasserstein, Lanford Wilson, Wallace Shawn, Tina Howe, Caryl Churchill, Athol Fugard, Beth Henley, Sam Shepard, David Henry Hwang, Harry Kondoleon, John Patrick Shanley, Larry Shue, Michael Weller, David Rabe, Marsha Norman, August Wilson, Albert Innaurato, Jules Feiffer, Harold Pinter, David Hare, Jose Rivera, Tom Stoppard, John Guare, David Mamet, Charles Fuller, William Matrosimone, Robert Patrick, Miguel Pinero

A collection of the best stage monologues of the eighties and nineties (including new translations) This volume brings together monologues of all types - from serious to comic and shades in between - to provide a varied, dramatic challenge for any actor: professional, student or amateur. Here is an invaluable resource for auditions, acting classes competitions and rehearsals. Playwrights include: Alan Bennett, Steven Berkoff, Howard Brenton, Caryl Churchill, Ariel Dorfman, Brian Friel, John Guare, Iain Heggie, Declan Hughes, Tony Kushner, Doug Lucie, Frank McGuinness, David Mamet, Anthony Minghella, Tom Murphy, Richard Nelson, Harold Pinter, Billy Roche, Sam Shepard and Stephen Sondheim

This collection of 70 monologues for young men approximately 15 to 30 years old includes a complete chapter that details how to choose a monologue, develop the character, and audition with confidence. Each monologue is prefaced by a description of the character and his emotional context, as well as hints on how to portray the mood of the piece.