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Broadway Books: 10 Monologue Books to Help You Hone Your Acting Chops in Quarantine
The Best Monologue Books for Actors
By: Stephi Wild Jun. 07, 2020
Looking to hone your acting chops while stuck inside? Preparing for your next big audition, whenever that may be? We've rounded up 10 monologue books that are sure to fit the bill!
Check out our list of favorites below.
The Actor's Book of Contemporary Stage Monologues
edited by Nina Shengold
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 playwrights 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
Purchase on Amazon here.
Monologues They'll Remember You By
by Andrew Biss
Finding the right monologue can often be a frustrating task. Too frequently, monologue books rely on time-worn staples that have been heard a million times before, or are padded out with aimless, insipid pieces that often aren't even taken from actual plays. In Monologues They'll Remember You By you'll find 80 (40 male, 40 female) fresh, engaging monologues that will allow you to create memorable character portraits of depth and vitality for that all-important moment in the spotlight.
This book also provides a useful guide on how to look beyond age and gender in many of these monologues in order to broaden your performance options. Additionally, each monologue is preceded by a brief summary of the plot, setting, and character profile.Whether a professional or a student actor, you'll find this book an invaluable resource for landing that coveted role or winning that competition.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Monologues for Teens: 60 Original Monologues to Stand Out, Inspire, and Shine
by Mike Kimmel
Monologues for Teens is a collection of 60 original monologues on a wide variety of topics. They are designed to help teenage actors reach, stretch and stand out from the crowd. Each individual piece is gender-neutral and may be performed equally well by both male and female actors. These monologues are clean, thought-provoking, and designed to encourage positive attitudes and behaviors in our youth - and audiences. They are appropriate for film, television, and theater training.
Includes a foreword by Emmy Award winner Jean Carol, and a detailed introduction to monologue selection, preparation and performance by the author. Monologues for Teens also includes helpful, behind-the-scenes suggestions on actor training and audition psychology.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Hear Me Now: Audition Monologues for Actors of Colour
edited by Titilola Dawudu
Hear Me Now is a unique collection of over eighty original audition monologues, expressly created by a range of award-winning writers brought together by producer Titilola Dawudu and Tamasha Theatre Company. They're ideal for actors of colour searching for speeches for auditions or training, writers, teachers, and theatre-makers who are passionate about improving diversity.
The book provides varied, nuanced stories that expand beyond the range of existing material available - from a cross-dressing imam, the first black Prime Minister, the British Indian girl moving to Nashville with dreams of becoming a country star, or the young black boy who loves baking as much as football.
Purchase on Amazon here.
The Oberon Book of Queer Monologues
edited by Scottee
The first collection of its kind, The Oberon Book of Queer Monologues chronicles over one hundred years of queer and trans performance.
Combining classical and Contemporary Stage plays with spoken word and performance art, this anthology features over forty extracts from some of the most exciting stage works in the English-speaking world. It will be an essential tool for artists seeking monologues for auditions or training; a comprehensive guide through the hidden histories of queer theatre; and a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Best Contemporary Monologues for Men 18-35
edited by Lawrence Harbison
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 Terrence McNally; by exciting up-and-comers such as Nicole Pandolfo, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Crystal Skillman, Greg Kalleres, Reina Hardy, Daniel Guyton, 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.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Best Contemporary Monologues for Women 18-35
edited by Lawrence Harbison
Lawrence Harbison has selected 100 terrific monologues for women 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 monologue sand they're great stories.
Actors will find pieces by star playwrights such as Don Nigro, Itamar Moses, Adam Bock, and Jane Martin; by exciting up-and-comers such as Nicole Pandolfo, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Crystal Skillman, Greg Kalleres, Daniel Guyton, and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig; 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 her contemporary piece after bowling over teachers and casting directors alike with a classical excerpt.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Men's Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny
by Alisha Gaddis
Never before has a monologue book been written completely by people who are actually funny for a living!
This incredibly hysterical, cutting-edge collection of monologues will give an actor the extra bang he needs to land the perfect comedic role. Men's Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny features monologues by writers and comics who have written for and/or performed on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, E! Entertainment, Comedy Central Stage, and many, many more.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Women's Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny
by Alisha Gaddis
Never before has a monologue book been written completely by people who are actually funny for a living.
This incredibly hysterical, cutting-edge collection of monologues will give an actress the extra bang she needs to land the perfect comedic role. Women's Comedic Monologues features 60 monologues by writers and comics who have written for or performed on Chelsea Lately, Carson Daly, The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Stage, and many more.
Purchase on Amazon here.
Monologues for Latino/a Actors
edited by Micha Espinosa
This much-needed book is organized a little differently than most published collections of monologues.
Each chapter is arranged in several sections:
About the Playwright
List of Plays
Playwright Information
Performing the Monologues
The Monologues
The book also includes a foreword by Jose Rivera.
Purchase on Amazon here.
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