Gerald Lee Ratliff Knihy

This sequel to the popular The Theatre Audition Book features over 130 monologues from classical, Shakespeare, period, modern, and contemporary plays and a new chapter on musical theatre and the medium, including commercial and film auditions. The monologues - some taken from non-dramatic sources like novels and poems - are organised by historical times and provide an overview of acting styles and audition expectations for playing each time period. The collection features well-known playwrights including Ntozake Shange, Athol Fugard, Christopher Durang, John Patrick Shanley, Edward Albee, August Wilson, Beth Henley, Terrence McNally, and Paula Vogel - and a number of exciting new writers who have contributed original monologues written especially for classroom study and performance. There are also a number of original duologues and musical monologues from standard classics - "The Man of La Mancha", "Big River", and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown".

All of the monologues in this book are from recently produced plays by award-winning, well-known, and emerging new playwrights. These challenging character studies are suitable for competitive auditions, acting or literature classes, forensic contests, and more. The selections are for actresses from 13 to 20 years of age. Individual chapters are divided into "thematic" ages that introduce characters at a particular event or time in their lives. A valuable resource for any auditioning female actor or theatre student. Features monologues from: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, Trojan Barbie by Christine Evans, Laughing Wild and Miss Witherspoon by Christopher Durang, The Mineola Twins by Paula Vogel, God in Bed by Glenn Alterman, Random Women and Enigma by Carolyn Carpenter, My Battle with Bulimia by Peter Langman, and many more.

This collection offers 72 monologues and eight duo scenes that present imaginative character portraits of young women, inspired by real-life role models. It explores themes like "Rage and Retribution," "Faith and Folly," and "Regret and Romance," highlighting the social influences on behavior and perspective. Each piece includes background sketches and performance tips, making it ideal for acting assignments, classroom discussions, or auditions. The diverse literary styles and thematic narratives provide a rich resource for performers to engage with contemporary life.

Here's the most comprehensive book of monologues ever compiled, with 144 audition pieces conveniently grouped into historical periods; from the classical to the contemporary. The monologues selected for each historical period are representative of the competitive material you might expect to discover at auditions. Each selection also includes a brief character analysis. This text is more than just a fine collection, however. It's also a how-to guide, with the first chapters presenting a blueprint for preparing auditions and selecting audition materials. The fundamental performance principle that Ratliff develops in the introductory chapters suggests guidelines and strategies to enrich your distinct and individual audition style. There is also a chapter of interesting non-dramatic monologues adapted or edited from sources other than theatre playscripts that should challenge your skills in interpretation and characterization. Finally, there are a number of valuable resource materials that include selected readings, a survey of period dates, and a glossary of useful audition terms.

Today's readers theatre is engaged in the exciting pursuit of a more contemporary self-definition, and some of the more theatrical trends of classroom performance are reflected in this book of basic practices and principles. The focus here is on translating primary readers theatre principles into classroom performance practices that feature performers artistically transforming literary figures or images into flesh-and-blood character portraits and visual pictures. This current, more theatrical approach is developed through the six Introduction to Readers Theatre, Selecting and Analyzing Literature, Adapting Literature, Playing Space and Staging, Classroom Exercises, and Sample Performance Scripts. This fine text includes many royalty-free script adaptations for performers and audiences of all ages as well as an extensive listing of source material ideas to further develop your own readers theatre.