You can use this resource to find characters by gender and age in plays that are specifically in the Helmke Library collection.
Books of monologues can be very helpful but there are some things to keep in mind when using these sources:
Monologue books can be found in the call number PN2080 located on the 4th floor of the library.
The Actor's Book of Contemporary Stage Monologues
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A splendid collection of monologues from both well-known and obscure scripts.
Duo!
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(Applause Acting Series). Culled from the work of over 100 playwrights and encompassing the seminal issues of our time, this follow-up compendium is by turns comic and serious but always intensely human. Pieces include scenes from August: Osage County , George & Martha , Intimate Apparel , Take Me Out , and Water Music .
Great Scenes and Monologues for Actors
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Great Scenes and Monologues for Actors, spanning nearly 500 years of drama, from Shakespearean England to Contemporary Broadway, is a useful tool for every student or actor wanting to improve their acting skills. Included are 80 scenes and monologues from playwrights ranging from William Shakespeare to Anton Chekhov to Wendy Wasserstein. This small and affordable book can help improve memory, concentration, and confidence.
One on One: The Best Men's Monologues for the 21st Century
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(Applause Acting Series). Covering the best of Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and experimental theatre since 2000, One on One challenges actors to explore the inner self, develop skill and artistry for auditions, and deliver a knockout onstage performance. These monologues sometimes comic, sometimes serious, and often both tackle issues ranging from race, class, gender, relationships and romance to coming of age, mortality, 9/11, and the Iraq war.
One on One: The Best Women's Monologues for the 21st Century
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(Applause Acting Series). Three editors, each associated with theatre, collaborated on this book of monologues for actresses. What they discovered, besides bravura pieces for auditions, acting classes, and study, was the pulse of the millennial theatrical scene. A follow-up to the popular previous edition from the 1990s, One on One: The Best Women's Monologues for the 21st Century includes the work of over 70 playwrights, spotlighting the best of Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and experimental writings since 2000. A special introduction also explains how to choose, practice, and perform a speech for auditions. Comic or serious or both the monologues are written for young, old, and multicultural players by famous names and up-and-coming talent. Anna Deavere Smith records abuse in "real" relationships ( House Arrest ); August Wilson relates trials of those who survived coming to America and those who did not ( Gem of the Ocean ); and William Gibson recreates the dark, fledgling days of Israel ( Golda's Balcony ). Additional works include Are You Ready? by David Auburn, Bad Dates by Theresa Rebeck, The Committee by Brian Dykstra, and many others.
The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook
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All actors and acting teachers need this invaluable guide to finding just the right piece for every audition. The unique format of the book is ideal for acting teachers who want their students to understand each monologue in context. This remarkable book describes the characters, action, and mood for more than 1,000 scenes in over 300 plays. Using these guidelines, the actor can quickly pinpoint the perfect monologue, then find the text in the Samuel French or Dramatist Play Service edition of the play. Newly revised and expanded, the book includes the author's own assessment of each monologue.
