Monologues from Literature: A Sourcebook for Actors (Paperback)

~ Marisa Smith (Editor), Kristin Graham (Editor), Mark Lamos (Introduction), Lee Richardson (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Actors looking for new and exciting ways to audition will discover that some of the greatest acting scenes ever written appear not only in plays, but in novels, stories, even poetry, Monologues from Literature taps this virtually limitless wellspring, providing monologue adaptations for dramatic and comic audition pieces, conveniently organized in chronological order -- from Homer's The Odyssey to Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Spanning the centuries, this sourcebook offers a variety of situations styles, and periods that you can tailor to any type of audition or acting class. You'll find characters that will allow you to display a great range of moods and emotions, including:

Francie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Sancho Panza in Don Quixote

Anna in Anna Karenina

Rebecca in Ivanhoe

Uchendu in Things Fall Apart

Sissy in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Emma Bovary in Madame Bovary

Portnoy in Portnoy's Complaint

Felicitas in The Company of Women

The Poet in Les Fleurs du Mal

Sal in On the Road

Cocoa in Mama Day

And dozens more

Monologues from Literature also provides an invaluable reference chart that divides the selections into age and gender of character, setting and period, and genre (drama, seriocomedy, or comedy), so that you can quickly find a monologue appropriate for your needs.

From the Inside Flap

Actors looking for new and exciting ways to audition will discover that some of the greatest acting scenes ever written appear not only in plays, but in novels, stories, even poetry, Monologues from Literature taps this virtually limitless wellspring, providing monologue adaptations for dramatic and comic audition pieces, conveniently organized in chronological order -- from Homer's The Odyssey to Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Spanning the centuries, this sourcebook offers a variety of situations styles, and periods that you can tailor to any type of audition or acting class. You'll find characters that will allow you to display a great range of moods and emotions, including:

Francie in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Sancho Panza in Don Quixote

Anna in Anna Karenina

Rebecca in Ivanhoe

Uchendu in Things Fall Apart

Sissy in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Emma Bovary in Madame Bovary

Portnoy in Portnoy's Complaint

Felicitas in The Company of Women

The Poet in Les Fleurs du Mal

Sal in On the Road

Cocoa in Mama Day

And dozens more

Monologues from Literature also provides an invaluable reference chart that divides the selections into age and gender of character, setting and period, and genre (drama, seriocomedy, or comedy), so that you can quickly find a monologue appropriate for your needs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett Columbine; 1 edition (August 22, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449905357
• ISBN-13: 978-0449905357
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,540,684 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally something new...From some things old!, October 6, 2000

By A Customer

A great book for audition material. Every director has heard 20 thousand interpretations of Blanche Dubois or Atticus Finch. This material, while familiar, is not overdone on the stage. Additionally, with works ranging from Cervantes, Voltaire and Dostoevsky to Jack Kerouac, Nora Ephron and Kurt Vonnegut there is an enormous variety of comedy, drama and slice-of-life dramedy selections to choose from.

The really fantastic thing about this particular book is the way it indexes the monolgoes by gender, age range, and level of comedy/drama. It also gives a good summary of the context for each piece.

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice collection, January 18, 2001

By A Customer

This book is a very nice collection of monologues that can be easily adapted to stage.