The Contemporary Monologue: Men

Michael Earley, Philippa Keil, Michael Earley, Philippa Keil

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9780878300617
• eBook ISBN: 9781135858414
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Performing Arts

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 TheContemporary Monologue for men include selections from Angels in America, by Tony Kushner; Frankie and Johnniein the Clair de Lune, by Terrence McNally; States ofShock, by Sam Shepard; and Speed-the-Plow, by David Mamet.

Highlights of The Contemporary Monologue for women include selections from:

TheContemporary Monologue is an invaluable resource for acting classes, competitions, auditions and rehearsals. It is an affordable and necessary tool for serious actors everywhere.

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Contents

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Notes to the Actor

Angels in America Tony Kushner

Assassins Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman

Babies Jonathan Harvey

Belfry Billy Roche

Berlin Bertie Howard Brenton

Boy with Beer Paul Boakye

Boys’ Life Howard Korder

Burn This Lanford Wilson

Cigarettes and Chocolate Anthony Minghella

Dancing Attendance Lucy Gannon

Death and the Maiden Ariel Dorfman

Dog Steven Berkoff

Etta Jenks Marlane Meyer

The Fastest Clock in the Universe Philip Ridley

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Terrence McNally

The Gigli Concert Tom Murphy

Hard Feelings Doug Lucie

Imagine Drowning Terry Johnson

La Bête David Hirson

The Last Yankee Arthur Miller

Laughing Wild Christopher Durang

Molly Sweeney Brian Friel

Moonlight Harold Pinter

The Normal Heart Larry Kramer

Oleanna David Mamet

The Pitchfork Disney Philip Ridley

Playing by the Rules Rod Dungate

Progress Doug Lucie

Search and Destroy Howard Korder

Serious Money Caryl Churchill

Six Degrees of Separation John Guare

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me Frank McGuinness

Speed-the-Plow David Mamet

States of Shock Sam Shepard

Talking Heads Alan Bennett

Three Hotels Jon Robin Baitz

To Jim Cartwright

Two Shakespearean Actors Richard Nelson

A Wholly Healthy Glasgow Iain Heggie

The Woman Who Cooked her Husband Debbie Isitt

Women Laughing Michael Wall

Your Home in the West Rod Wooden

Play Sources

Acknowledgements

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Notes to the Actor

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The monologues in this volume come from plays produced and published in Britain and America over the past ten years. Each identifies some facet of contemporary thought and feeling. They augment the speeches in our two previous volumes, The Modern Monologue and The Classical Monologue, as well as supplement and update a volume we published a number of years ago, Solo: The Best Monologues of the 80s. Our aim in all these books has been to provide actors with the kind of material that holds the stage and challenges the performer to use skills that will show him to best advantage.

When we put these volumes together we deliberately choose speeches from plays that are in print and readily available. (See Play Sources at the e...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Notes to the Actor
• Angels in America
• Assassins
• Babies
• Belfry
• Berlin Bertie
• Boy with Beer
• Boys' Life
• Burn This
• Cigarettes and Chocolate
• Dancing Attendance
• Death and the Maiden
• Dog
• Etta Jenks
• The Fastest Clock in the Universe
• Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
• The Gigli Concert
• Hard Feelings
• Imagine Drowning
• La Bête
• The Last Yankee
• Laughing Wild
• Molly Sweeney
• Moonlight
• The Normal Heart
• Oleanna
• The Pitchfork Disney
• Playing by the Rules
• Progress
• Search and Destroy
• Serious Money
• Six Degrees of Separation
• Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
• Speed-the-Plow
• States of Shock
• Talking Heads
• Three Hotels
• To
• Two Shakespearean Actors
• A Wholly Healthy Glasgow
• The Woman Who Cooked her Husband
• Women Laughing
• Your Home in the West
• Play Sources
• Acknowledgements